Attendees of a subforum of the meeting pose for a group photo in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, on 31 May

Since the end of World War II, developing countries have constantly sought strategies to achieve national prosperity, promote sustainable socio-economic development and improve the standard of living of their citizens, according to Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe, former President of South Africa.  

He made the remarks in an address via video link during the opening ceremony of the 12th Meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum, a hybrid online and face-to-face event held in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, on 30-31 May. Nearly 400 people, including scholars and policymakers from China and Africa, attended the event this year.  

The meeting, themed Centennial History of China-Africa Rejuvenation and Cooperation, attached great importance to promoting modernisation that is acceptable to each country. In line with the Global Civilisation Initiative, the forum aimed to promote inter-civilisational exchanges.  

The Global Civilisation Initiative was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), while addressing the CPC in Dialogue With World Political Parties High-Level Meeting on 15 March, calling for respecting the diversity of civilisations, advocating the common values of humanity, valuing the inheritance and innovation of civilisations, and strengthening international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. 

Alpha Mohamed Jalloh, director of the China-Africa Institute at the University of Makeni in Sierra Leone, speaks at a subforum of the meeting on 31 May

Exploring paths to modernisation 

“China’s modernisation model offers an instructive example for African countries. China’s modernisation process is both faithful and adaptable to its own national characteristics,” said Bamba Abdoulaye, professor of international relations at Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Côte d’Ivoire. “African countries must find their own path to modernisation based on their unique national circumstances.” 

He believes that China’s modernisation is based on nonviolence. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) are two exceptional frameworks for China-Africa cooperation. Since its establishment in 2000, FOCAC has proven to be persistent and has witnessed significant development of Sino-African cooperation at various levels and in many fields. The BRI, in turn, has greatly enhanced the growth of infrastructure construction in Africa and promoted technology transfer.  

Fouad Larhzizer, assistant professor at the Faculty of Languages, Arts, and Human Sciences of Hassan First University in Morocco, echoed this sentiment. “Chinese enterprises are actively promoting Africa’s socio-economic development by providing their cutting-edge technology and management know-how, especially in the fields of energy, transportation, telecommunications, hydraulic engineering, railroads and construction materials. Sincere friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and joint development are the key characteristics of China’s policy towards Africa,” Larhzizer told ChinAfrica, noting that these principles have served as the foundation for the growth of China’s relations with Africa. By developing a new framework for South-South cooperation, “we can achieve great things,” he added. 

According to Alpha Mohamed Jalloh, director of the China-Africa Institute at the University of Makeni in Sierra Leone, China has made significant investments in education and technology, which are the cornerstones of its modernisation. Recently, the country has made a strategic plan on its human capital and artificial intelligence development. He believes that African countries should take a cue from China’s experience to provide young Africans with better access to education and technological skills. He also believes that African countries must rely heavily on the digital economy if the continent as a whole is to progress. 

Other topics discussed at the meeting included revitalising rural areas, fighting poverty, improving healthcare, protecting the environment, and building a community of shared future for mankind. 

Shan Min, director of Research Management and International Cooperation Office, Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, speaks at a sub-forum of the meeting on 31 May

Inter-civilisational exchanges 

“China and Africa have a long history of cooperation and friendship. These two outstanding ancient civilisations have greatly improved their cultural and human relations, resulting in fruitful outcomes in the fields of culture, art, science and leadership training,” Larhzizer said. This is mainly due to the fact that cooperation and communication between the two parties has been increasing. In his opinion, cultural and people-to-people contacts are crucial to Sino-African relations.  

According to Li Hongfeng, dean of the School of African Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, tolerance, coexistence, exchange and mutual learning between different civilisations are necessary for the development of a community of shared future. For this reason, she believes that the development and dissemination of information about Chinese and African civilisations are extremely important. 

She stressed that “we need to pay more attention to the creation and dissemination of knowledge about the national conditions and cultures of China and African countries.” She regrets that information about some African countries is still too hard to find in China. A survey conducted by her university among African youth also found that libraries in Africa do not have large collections on Chinese culture. She urged academic institutions, think tanks, media and scholars concerned with Sino-African relations to be more active in creating and sharing information on the subject, emphasising that electronic books are an effective tool for promoting intercultural dialogue. 

Echoing Li, Shan Min, director of Research Management and International Cooperation Office, Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, told ChinAfrica that education plays a key role in intercultural exchange and cultural innovation. She said China-Africa cooperation in higher education has produced results over the years, especially with the launch of the 20+20 cooperation project that pairs 20 Chinese universities with 20 African universities in 2010. This project, which targets African and Chinese higher education institutions, aims to create a new type of inter-university cooperation.