Relations between China and Africa have enjoyed a continuous and steady development in 2013. The new Chinese leadership continues to attach great importance to China-Africa relations and strives to strengthen South-South Cooperation. Political trust between the two sides has deepened steadily with cooperation in the economy, trade and other fields ascending to new levels and health cooperation, cultural and people-to-people exchanges increasing in scope and depth.

Frequent high-level visits

Today in the political arena, the frequent high-level visits on both sides are strongly boosting political trust and driving the establishment of the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership. The bilateral ties need to get strengthened through high level exchange visits and consulting in the shortest possible time, especially after leadership change, so as to confirm the continuity of foreign policy.

It is critical to build a stronger relationship with the African Union (AU), the most representative and most important inter-governmental organization in Africa, because China develops its relations with Africa's 54 countries.

China and the AU held their fifth strategic dialogue in February 2013. Then Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma co-chaired the dialogue. This was her first trip to the country since she took office in October 2012. As the integration process of Africa moves forward, China will continue to deepen its ties with the AU.

Last spring, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Africa, clearly indicating that the new leadership attaches great importance to China-Africa relations, as well as to cooperation among emerging economies such as BRICS. In his speech at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Dar es Salaam, Xi said that Africa is in a new era of hope and development. He vowed that China will intensify, rather than weaken, its efforts to develop relations with Africa.

His remarks delivered clear messages. First, although Africa has gone through complicated and profound changes, as well as the tests of a civil war in Cote d'Ivoire, South Sudan's independence, a war in Libya, the North African turmoil, and civil wars in Mali and the Central African Republic, China remains confident of Africa's development. Second, based on optimism and confidence in the African situation and its future development, China will continue strengthening and advancing its relationship with Africa. Third, China's policy toward Africa will stay on the track of sincerity, friendship, and cooperation with less empty talk and more practical work. During Xi's visit to Tanzania, the two sides signed MOUs relating to infrastructure projects, including the construction of a modern port at Bagamoyo with an investment budget of $10 billion. The project will be rather comprehensive, with a distribution center, a development area and other facilities. After completion, it will be an important port and trade hub linking Tanzania with China, the Middle East and Europe.

Cultural exchanges and health cooperation

China-Africa cultural exchanges were the biggest highlight of relations between China and Africa in 2013. At the 2006 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China and Africa decided to establish a new type of strategic partnership featuring cultural exchanges, political equality and mutual trust, and win-win economic cooperation, thus turning a new page in China-Africa friendly cooperation. Since then, it has been not only the intention of the governments to expand and strengthen China-African cultural exchange activities, but also the mission of cultural workers of both sides.

To explore the culture treasures both in China and Africa, bilateral cultural cooperation should not simply stay at the government level. It needs to spread to the industry level through the introduction of market and social force.

As a key project of "Chinese Culture in Focus" events, the First Roundtable Meeting on Chinese and African Cultural Industries, organized by the Ministry of Culture, was held in Beijing and Shenzhen from June 18 to 23, 2013, with delegates from China and senior cultural officials and experts from 26 African countries in a discussion of how best to promote bilateral cultural exchanges in terms of cultural industry policies, development status, successful experience, demands and cooperation vision.

African and Chinese Cultures in Focus events have been held since 2008. The events happen in alternate years and now are becoming a significant brand and platform for cultural exchange between China and Africa. The China-Africa Cultural Cooperation Partnership Program, launched in 2013, aims to promote the building of long-term paired cooperation between 100 Chinese cultural institutions and 100 African cultural institutions in three years. China has also provided cultural materials assistance worth about 7.2 million yuan ($1.18 million) to 36 African countries. These cultural exchanges and cooperation play an increasingly important role in deepening Sino-African relations and promoting mutual understanding and trust.

The year 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first Chinese medical aid team in Africa in 1963. For the past five decades, it has greatly helped Africa enhance its own capacity for medical care and public health.

In order to promote China-Africa health cooperation in the new era, dozens of African health ministers and Chinese health officials gathered at the Ministerial Forum on China-Africa Health Development to map out new efforts to support Africa's long-term health progress and shape the future of China-Africa health cooperation in August 2013. At the forum, under the theme of Priorities of China-Africa Health Cooperation in the New Era, health ministers and officials launched the Beijing Declaration, calling for the prominent positioning of health and healthrelated issues in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, and the development of human resources for the health sector in Africa. Representatives from 48 African countries and international organizations, such as World Health Organization and UNAIDS, were all at the meeting.

Post graduate cooperation is an important part of the China-Africa relationship

Public diplomacy and people-topeople friendship

The Chinese Government announced priority areas of China-Africa cooperation for the next three years at the Fifth FOCAC Ministerial Conference held in July 2012. The next cooperation period will focus on public diplomacy and enhancing people-to-people friendships.

In the political arena, Chinese leaders have found that non-official diplomatic maneuvers can help people better understand China. When delivering a speech in Tanzania, Chinese President Xi described China-Africa relations in the new era through stressing the importance of "sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith." Xi also used a Swahili greeting, mentioned A Beautiful Daughter-In-Law Era, a TV series that has been dubbed and gained popularity in African countries, and a story of a young Chinese couple who has fallen in love with Africa after their honeymoon in Tanzania. Plain language in his speech shortened distance with local people, and Xi's 30-minute speech drew dozens of bursts of warm applause. Peng Liyuan, President Xi's wife, has received increasing attention for not only her attire, but also her good-will activities during the visits abroad, a softtoned diplomatic gesture to boost China's image. First-lady diplomacy is now a vital component of public diplomacy. Peng's role is special and she can deliver a big push to the country's soft power.

With China-Africa cooperation expanding in a more comprehensive way, Sino-African think tank exchanges and cooperation has continued to be strengthened in recent years. Since the China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Program was launched in March 2010, the first and second China-Africa Think Tanks Forum (CATTF) have been held in Hangzhou and Addis Ababa respectively. The third meeting of CATTF and the launching ceremony of the China-Africa Think Tanks 10+10 Partnership Plan was held in Beijing from October 21 to 22, 2013. The frequent and multi-level exchanges and cooperation on large scale among Sino-African scholars and think tanks could effectively enhance in-depth understanding of each other, promote people-to-people exchanges, and provide intellectual support for the development of China and African countries.

As China continues to increase assistance to Africa and bring the benefits of development to the African people, some capable NGOs with a talent pool in China will gradually participate in the China-Africa cooperation projects. Strengthening people-to-people friendships will enhance people-to-people exchanges and understanding between both sides. In addition, with the improvement of African people's living standards, more and more people will benefit from the China-Africa cooperation achievements, which lay a solid foundation of public support for enhancing China- Africa common development. In this way, China's public diplomacy and people-to-people communication with Africa would bear new fruit.

(The author is a senior research fellow at the Charhar Institute and researcher with the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)