China’s evolving role in global affairs presents a narrative of progressive engagement, marked by a proactive stance on issues of trust, fairness, peace and stability. The country’s emergence as a significant player on the world stage is characterised not merely by economic prowess, but also by a growing commitment to mediating conflicts, fostering cooperation, and promoting mutual development. China’s burgeoning influence through various diplomatic initiatives and engagements has implications for the contemporary international order.  At the heart of China’s approach…

An important feature of China developing its aerospace industry is its insistence on self-reliance and independent innovation, because China firmly believes that aerospace is a hi-tech industry and high core technologies cannot be bought. Only by mastering core technologies can China firmly grasp the initiative in development.  Talent and infrastructure are bottlenecks that have long restricted Africa’s development. To help to improve African countries’ independent capabilities in space, China attaches great importance to providing intellectual support for African scientific researchers…

In the past, outer space was primarily the domain of a few powerful countries and generally considered separate from broader concerns of human security and development. However, in recent times, space technology development has been a dynamic arena in which the majority of the world’s countries, including countries across the continent of Africa, are actively engaged to address their most pressing socio-economic challenges. Since the turn of the millennium, countries across Africa have demonstrated growing interest in developing their space…

Simphiwe Zondi in Johannesburg, South Africa, was especially happy on 16 April. At the 2024 Job Fair of the Chinese-Invested Enterprises in South Africa held in the Gallagher Convention Centre on that day, he presented his CV and immediately secured a job as a technical director at the South Africa subsidiary of PowerChina, which ranked 105th on the Fortune Global 500 list in 2023. He was one of the few applicants who signed employment contracts at the job fair.  “I cannot reveal…

In an inspirational speech in 1996, then South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki said, “Whatever the setbacks of the moment, nothing can stop us now! Whatever the difficulties, Africa shall be at peace! However improbable it may sound to the sceptics, Africa will prosper!”   The 37th African Union (AU) Summit was convened in Addis Ababa on 17 February, where leaders from across Africa converged to deliberate on pressing issues and chart a course for the future of the continent. The…

From 13 to 18 January, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited four African countries in keeping with the more than three decades of tradition where Chinese foreign ministers start their yearly overseas visits with a trip to Africa. However, while these visits have become a routine for China’s diplomatic practice, they are not an empty ritual. They represent a tradition of China-Africa pragmatic cooperation defined by mutual consultations and tangible outcomes. It is neither opportunistic nor paternalistic, but rather engagement…

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China Africa Industrial Forum (CAIF). An outcome of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the mechanism has facilitated China-Africa exchanges and engagement in diverse fields. In the past 15 years, CAIF has helped hundreds of Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa, which has speeded up the continent’s industrialisation in terms of manufacturing, technological training and managerial expertise. ChinAfrica spoke to CAIF Secretary General Cheng Zhigang to learn more about how CAIF facilitates China-Africa…

As African countries look to enhance their manufacturing industries and speed up industrialisation, they are learning valuable insights from the development experience of industrial parks worldwide, particularly from China.  Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, China has substantially increased its investment in infrastructure development in Africa, undertaking the construction of a large number of projects including roads, railways, hydropower plants, airports, ports, and industrial parks. Specifically, industrial parks have emerged as key engines driving Africa’s…

As Africa pushes forward its industrialisation process, the Chinese-built industrial parks and free trade zones have assumed special significance as drivers of the region’s industrial development and job creation. At the same time, Africa is also learning from China’s successful experience in industrialisation.  What are the ways in which China and African countries can deepen industrial cooperation? What are the roadblocks to such cooperation and the process of industrialisation in Africa?   Officials, scholars and business representatives from China and Africa…

The end of the year 2023 and the beginning of 2024 mark a remarkable phase in China-Africa relations. This relationship has evolved significantly and Africa continues to register key milestones in its economic development, particularly in trade, investment and infrastructure. The remarkable growth can be attributed to initiatives by the Chinese government such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and China International Import Expo (CIIE), among others. Of these, the BRI has been the…