Theo Neethling
China’s relationship with Africa is vital to Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Western-dominated world order. China is Africa’s most significant trading partner and a crucial source of continental investment, hence the importance of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to both.
The forum’s summit, which takes place every three years, provides a platform for China to showcase its global influence and for African nations, both individually and collectively, to engage with the world’s second-largest economy on political and economic matters.
This year’s summit is an opportunity for Africa to find a way through the challenges of the post-Covid era. Previous summits have yielded tangible benefits for African nations. For instance, Kenya has become the largest exporter of flowers to China, with annual exports valued at US$800 million, since the eighth China-Africa summit in Dakar in 2021.
Another positive spin-off linked to the opening of new trade between African countries and China since 2021 is the promotion of e-commerce. This, for instance, has enabled Ethiopian coffee to be exported to China. And, through the China-Africa Peace and Security Fund, Chinese finance and equipment was channelled towards the African Peace and Security Architecture.
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