China-Africa Co-operation Summit
29 October 2006
Beijing - South African President Thabo Mbeki, supported by Foreign Minister
Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, is expected in Beijing China on Friday 3 November
2006 where he will lead a senior South African government delegation to the
Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) Summit of Heads of State and
Government in Beijing China scheduled from Saturday - Sunday, 4-5 November
2006. FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and multilateral
co-operation, concentrating on issues of economic and social development
between Africa and China.
The 2006 Summit, held under the banner "Friendship, Peace, Co-operation and
Development," will be preceded by a meeting of African Ministers of Foreign
Affairs and their Chinese counterparts on Friday 3 November 2006.
President Mbeki will participate in this Summit within the context of South
Africa's commitment to consolidate the African agenda through South-South
co-operation including co-operation projects through the New Africa-Asia
Strategic Partnership (NAASP). South Africa and the Peoples' Republic of China
are in addition, members of the Group of 77 (G-77) + China, which is the
largest coalition of developing countries outside of the United Nations. South
Africa currently chairs the G-77 + China.
The Summit will include a Roundtable discussion in addition to a High-Level
Dialogue between Chinese-African Leaders and Business Communities. The
Roundtable will be chaired by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Ethiopian Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi.
The Summit is expected to explore opportunities for concrete and practical
co-operation on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)
implementation and to explore the linkages with the Sino-Africa process in the
18 economic and social development fields identified in the "Beijing
Declaration" of 2000 and "Programme for China and Africa Co-operation in
Economic and Social Development (2000)", as well as the areas of co-operation
identified in the "Forum on China-Africa Co-operation - Addis Ababa Action Plan
2004-2006" document adopted in 2003.
The Summit is expected to adopt a Declaration and an Action Plan
(2007-2009).
China - South Africa Relations
South Africa's strategic engagement with China is located within the
country's key foreign policy priorities, which are shaped by our domestic
priorities and include such as poverty alleviation, the equitable distribution
of wealth, peace and security, and the creation of a better life for all.
Countries in the Southern Hemisphere share many of the same social and
developmental challenges, including those induced by globalisation and historic
inequity. The interdependent global order with a multi-polar dimension means
that like-minded countries have to form alliances on common issues.
South Africa's relations with China are an example of such an alliance that
advances South Africa's bilateral, regional, trilateral and multilateral
agendas.
In this regard, China represents an enormous opportunity for South Africa
and Africa, but at the same time poses certain challenges. The sheer size of
the Chinese market, its untapped potential, its population size, its explosive
growth, its membership of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and its
emergence as a major global power all present opportunities.
China is also a key player in the expansion of South-South co-operation as
we seek to maximise the opportunities presented by globalisation and reduce the
negative effects. China can be a key ally in the fight to reform the
international political, financial and trade architecture [in the UN,
International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Trade Organisation (WTO)].
China-Africa Relations
China has traditionally played a role in Africa of supporting liberation
movements. They have also supported African efforts to safeguard peace and
stability by sending peacekeepers to Africa in the past, e.g. Liberia and the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They have reduced the debt owed to China by
African Least Developed Countries (LDCs) by $1,27 billion. They have set up an
African Human Resources Development Fund, sponsored vocational courses for
African trainees and contributed to the African Capacity Building
Foundation.
China's accelerated engagement with Africa over the past few years has
culminated in the adoption of "China's African Policy" in January 2006.
FOCAC, NAASP and NEPAD
The first indication of change in policy towards Africa was the formation of
the Forum for China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) in Beijing in 2000, as a
mechanism for collective dialogue and multilateral co-operation, concentrating
on issues of economic and social development.
The shift from aid, donor funding and donor projects to economically viable
and sustainable projects has resulted in a substantive change of emphasis in
China's foreign policy toward Africa.
In the course of developing the FOCAC, China has expressed support for the
African Union's (AU's) socio-economic development programme, the New
Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). There is definite scope for using
FOCAC to support the priority sectors identified under NEPAD and for
co-operation on concrete, identified projects that promote our regional
integration agenda. As far back as November 2002 in Addis Ababa, there has been
a recognition and acceptance of the importance of harmonising, synchronising
and aligning FOCAC and NEPAD.
In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the NEPAD
Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-Up Committee of FOCAC in
July 2006. China has also contributed US$500 000 to the NEPAD Secretariat for
use in certain projects. An interesting point to note is that China's support
for NEPAD has also been reflected in the Joint Statement of the 9th European
Union (EU)-China Summit held in Helsinki on 9 September 2006. The Statement
includes the following - "The leaders agreed to pursue a structured dialogue on
Africa and explore avenues for practical co-operation on the ground in
partnership with the African side, including with the support of NEPAD
initiatives and with the aim of attaining the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). The leaders welcome China's structured co-operation with Africa through
the FOCAC".
Another point of intersection can be found in the context of the New
Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) launched in Jakarta, Indonesia in
April 2005. In this context, the NAASP Declaration adopted by our Heads of
State and Government at the Asia Africa Summit specifically aligned the
China-Africa Co-operation Forum to the NAASP and acknowledged NEPAD as the
framework for engagement with Africa.
For further information, please contact:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
29 October 2006
