Africa-First Diplomacy
China-Africa cooperation, and the diplomacy invested to drive it, is not mere ordinary and routine traditional international diplomacy of ambiguities and double talk, but a framework of useful intercourse to produce tangible results and evolve new strategies to consolidate functional partnerships.
Following in the more than two-decade-old diplomatic tradition, which has seen Chinese foreign ministers head to Africa as the starting destination of their international diplomatic engagements every year, Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, traveled to five African nations in January. The high-level visits, which began in Madagascar on January 7, took him to Zambia, Tanzania, the Republic of the Congo and finally Nigeria, where he wrapped up his trip on January 12.
According to Geng Shuang, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, “Relations with developing countries, including [those in] Africa are the bedrock of Chinese diplomacy. Chinese foreign ministers have visited Africa during their first foreign trips each year over the past two decades. The practice has become a much treasured diplomatic tradition for China.”
Beyond the symbolism of this evolving Chinese diplomatic tradition, the Africa-first China diplomacy underscores the vigor and robustness of Sino-African cooperation. The ever-widening frontiers and deepening contents of this cooperation are underwritten by a shared destiny and common vision, built through the historic trajectories of solidarity, strategic partnership and now, advanced comprehensive cooperation.
Nigerian cooperation
In March 2013, Xi Jinping’s first international engagement as the Chinese president was to neighboring Russia and then straight to Africa (Tanzania), where he elaborated on the fresh impetus to drive the Sino-African cooperation.
Wang’s visit to Africa this year fits into the blossoming China-Africa diplomacy and more importantly captures the trend of China-Africa deepening cooperation. While in Africa, Wang discussed the implementation of Xi’s consensus with African leaders and the outcomes of Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in South Africa in December 2015. At the historic summit, which was the second FOCAC summit and first on African soil, China announced 10 major plans for a $60-billion package. And as of last July, China and Africa have signed 245 various cooperation agreements worth a total of $50 billion.
In April 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria paid a historic state visit to China, becoming the first African head of state to visit the country after the FOCAC Summit. The visit harvested agreements on core issues of Nigeria’s economic reconstruction, which included a framework agreement between the National Development and Reform Commission of China and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment on developing cooperation on industrialization, infrastructure, production capacity and investment. During the visit, China pledged to provide $14.45 million in free assistance for agricultural science and technology demonstration centers and solar traffic lights projects in Abuja. Beside this, China has provided around $4 billion in concessionary loans in total to Nigeria to fund major projects such as Abuja-Kaduna Railway, Abuja Light Rail, Lagos Rail Mass Transit System and several others.
As has become obvious, Africa’s economic revival cannot subsist or rely on sustenance on commodity extraction and exports as weak demand and low prices have taken huge tolls on Africa’s economies. Now the path of industrialization is again getting attention, with China playing a key role in this regard. China has set up a fund for China-Africa production capacity cooperation with an initial contribution of $10 billion.
Building infrastructure
Across Africa, many China-supported or assisted infrastructure projects have been completed, commissioned and put to use, and some others were nearing completion by the end of 2016. Last July, the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge railway, linking Nigeria’s capital Abuja and the north western state of Kaduna, was opened for commercial operation. The 186.6-km line built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. with nine stations and a designed speed of 150 km per hour is part of the railway modernization initiative by Nigeria to replace the existing narrow gauge with the wider standard gauge system, while allowing high-speed train operation on the railway network. The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja under reconstruction with Chinese assistance is nearing completion. Last October, the first electrified railway linking Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa to the port of Djibouti was completed and put into operation. The 752.7-km railway, which was constructed by China Railway Group and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp., will avail landlocked Ethiopia faster access to the sea via the Port of Djibouti, reducing travel time from seven days on roads to about 10 hours.
Following this, November last year saw the launch of Kenya’s Nairobi-Naivasha standard gauge railway project built by the China Communications Construction Co. and funded by Export-Import Bank of China. The project is the first phase of the 120.4-km NairobiMalaba standard gauge railway and an extension of the Nairobi-Mombassa standard gauge railway.
In Tanzania, the Chinese-built Kigamboni Bridge, a 680-meter-long and six-lane bridge, opened for traffic as the largest cable-stayed cross-sea bridge in East Africa.
Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls International Airport was commissioned and expanded with support from China in November 2016. The airport, which can now handle 1.5 million passengers per year, boasts new facilities including a new international terminal building, a new 4-km runway, extended parking areas for aircraft and a new road network. The project was funded through a $150-million loan from ExportImport Bank of China.
Also in November last year, Ghana commissioned the new Kotokuraba Market, whose construction was also financed by China Export-Import Bank of China. The market in the ancient capital Cape Coast features modern facilities including a 200-car parking lot, a solar system for emergency lightening and closed circuit TV security cameras. The market renovation and expansion would ease congestion in the former Kotokuraba Market, which had suffered two major outbreaks of fire with heavy losses in the past.
China-Africa cooperation, and the diplomacy invested to drive it, is not mere ordinary and routine traditional international diplomacy of ambiguities and double talk, but a framework of useful intercourse to produce tangible results and evolve new strategies to consolidate functional partnerships. Wang’s five country visit in Africa bears enormous goodwill from China and practical support for Africa and therefore was well deserving of the best of Africa’s phenomenal hospitality.
(The author is director of the Center for China Studies, Utako, Abuja, Nigeria)
Charles Onunaiju
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is welcomed by Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhariat at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria on January 11, 2017IC