The transformation and development of Sino-African relations represent China's great achievements in its foreign relations since the country adopted policies of reform and opening up 30 years ago, displaying the unique dynamics of China's foreign relations. Having been relegated to the periphery in the old, West-dominated world system, Africa now maintains a core place in China's foreign relations. In many situations, Sino-African relations are a pivot in the structure of China's relations with the outside world, and play an irreplaceable role in improving contemporary China's diplomatic environment and boosting its international standing. New principles of international relations and the successful South-South cooperation model cultivated in Sino-African relations have generated more hope and confidence for the future in this unstable world.

This book, Fifty Years of Sino-African Cooperation: Background, Progress & Significance, is a collection of research papers by Chinese academics. The over 30 research papers published inside include ruminations on history, current events, progress, and future prospects in Sino-African cooperation in fields ranging from politics and economics to technology and agriculture, to culture and education.

The authors hail from major institutes of African studies in China, where research papers are conducive to improving the understanding of the background, progress, results and significance of Sino-African cooperative relations.  

This book is a joint compilation by the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University (IASZNU) and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), along with assistance from the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee, which is an offshoot of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and China Development Bank Corp.

(Liu Hongwu is General Director of the Institution of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, and Yang Jiemian is President of the Shanghai Institute of International Studies.)

Fifty Years of Sino-African Cooperation: Background, Progress & Significance

> Prologue 1: A Note on Sino-African Relations to the World,

> Prologue 2: African Studies and "New Frontiers" of China's Academic Domain.

> Part I: Fifty Years of Sino-African Cooperation Relations: Background, Progress and Significance, Building a Sustainable Strategic Partnership by China and Africa, Reflections on Promotion of the Harmonious and Win-win Relationship Between China and Africa, Chinese Experiences in Development: Some Implications for Africa, The Transformation of International System and China-Africa Relations, China's African Policy: Driving Forces, Features and Global Impact, China Model and Africa's Development, China Engaging into Africa – Looking for the Future, Understanding Contemporary Sino-African Relations in Retrospective and Perspective.

> Part 2: Fifty Years of Sino-African Agricultural Cooperation, Sino-African Cooperation on Poverty Alleviation: Progress, Features and Experience-Sharing, Thoughts on China-Africa Energy Cooperation and More, Sino-African Cooperation in Science and Technology: History and Prospects, Sino-Africa Cooperation in Infrastructure Construction under the FOCAC Framework, Sino-African Economic Cooperation: Achievements, Problems and Suggestions, China and Africa: A New Paradigm in Educational Cooperation, China-Africa Legal Exchange and Cooperation: The Past, Present and Future, Building the Bridge of Sino-African Cultural Exchanges – The African Native Language Teaching in China, Fifty Years of Sino-African Medical and Health Care Cooperation: From the Angle of a Chinese Medical Team, Culture Exchange and the Sustained Development of the Sino-African Relationship, Non-Governmental Exchange Enhances the Mutual Understanding between Chinese and African People – Some Case Studies, Coping with African Society – The status quo and trend of Chinese companies in Africa.

> Part 3: Sino-African Political Cooperation: Approaching Common Revival and Development, Changes of African Geopolitical Patterns and the Trilateral Cooperation between China, Africa and the West, Comparison between the "Democracy Aid to Africa" Policy of the Western Countries and the "Livelihood Aid to Africa" Policy of China, China's Aid to Africa: New Colonialism or Not, Brief Analysis of 'Chinese Aid Threat' – Challenges and Pressures of China's Africa Policy, Reflections of China's Assistance to Zambia, Combination of the Principle of Sovereignty and the Principle of Morality and Justice – An Analysis of China's participation in African Peace-Keeping Operations, Impacts and Implications of the Darfur Issue on China's Diplomacy, The Maturing of China's Diplomatic Policies in Sudan Case.