At the bustling Port of Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire, cargo ships glide in and out as towering cranes hum with ceaseless activity. Once a bottleneck for trade, the port now stands as a symbol of transformation thanks to its recent expansion fueled by Chinese investment. This gateway to West Africa highlights Beijing’s deepening economic engagement with the continent, a dynamic partnership that is reshaping Africa’s trade and logistics landscape. Through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Africa’s infrastructure has taken…

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a message to the 38th African Union (AU) Summit, extending warm congratulations to African countries and people. Experts from African countries noted that the message highlights China’s unwavering commitment to China-Africa relations and its steadfast support for Africa’s independence, self-reliance and development. They said that China-Africa relations will continue to serve as a model of South-South cooperation, as the two sides work together on the path to modernization. STRONGER GLOBAL SOUTH COOPERATION In…

Humming factories, bustling ports, and shuttling merchants highlight the vibrancy of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. Over the years, this partnership has grown significantly, optimising trade structures and fostering mutual development. This deepening collaboration is evident in China’s role as Africa’s largest bilateral trading partner for 15 consecutive years.  During the first seven months of 2024, trade between China and African countries reached $167 billion, reflecting a 5.5-percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. According to the International…

The Chinese government has committed to creating a Global South Research Centre to facilitate greater stakeholder engagement in public policy discussions. This announcement followed a meeting between Ahmed Shide, Ethiopian Finance Minister and Lu Hao, President of the Development Research Centre of the State Council of China. During the discussion, Lu Hao highlighted that at the 3rd FOCAC Summit, Chinese authorities encouraged dialogue between think tanks to advance public policies in Africa, as reported by Fana Media Corporation (FMC), a partner of…

The world in 2024 was far from peaceful. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has persisted for over 1,000 days. Meanwhile, a new wave of violence in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, ongoing for more than a year, spilled over into Lebanon, Iran, and even Syria.  Africa also faced new challenges to peace and security over the past year. Armed conflicts continued in various regions, particularly in the Horn of Africa, while terrorism and external interference exacerbated regional instability. These challenges made…

In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised that China will enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Africa, champion mutual respect, inclusiveness and coexistence of different civilisations on the way to modernisation, and strive together for more fruitful outcomes under the Global Civilisation Initiative.    Civilisations are enriched through exchange and grow through mutual learning. The exchange between Chinese and African civilisations…

A shortage of courtrooms has long been a challenge in Malawi, especially since more judges were hired to help to streamline the country’s judicial process. Yet, while the current judiciary is headquartered in the country’s second-largest city of Blantyre, due to a lack of work space; some sections of the judiciary are located elsewhere, such as the juvenile, commercial and industrial courts.  So, when the decision came to move the court headquarters to the capital city of Lilongwe, the issue…

China is ready to work with Namibia to promote the implementation of the 10 partnership actions proposed at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit in Namibia, and provide support for Namibia to accelerate its modernization, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Namibia’s President Nangolo Mbumba in Namibia’s Swakopmund. China has always been Africa’s…

The year 2024 saw a further deepening of China-Africa relations, with a number of milestones.  The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing elevated China-Africa relations to new heights, unveiling ambitious plans to modernise and strengthen their longstanding partnership.  Economic cooperation continued to thrive in 2024. Although full-year data is still forthcoming, early figures indicate robust performance across various indicators. Trade volume between China and Africa reached $167 billion in the first seven months of…

From January 5 to 11, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the four African countries of Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad and Nigeria. The visit by Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, is aimed at deepening practical cooperation in various fields, and promoting the sustained and in-depth development of China-Africa relations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. Wang’s visit continues the tradition of a Chinese…