- The 2021 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to be held in Dakar, Senegal from 29-30 November 2021 is a landmark in Africa –China relations.
- It marks two decades of economic ties since the first summit was held in Beijing in 2000.
- The relationship between the continent and China witnessed tremendous growth over the past 20 years.
The 2021 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to be held in Dakar, Senegal from 29-30 November 2021 is a landmark in Africa –China relations. It marks two decades of economic ties since the first summit was held in Beijing in 2000. The relationship between the continent and China witnessed tremendous growth over the past 20 years.
One of the most significant contributions of China is its support to a number of African countries to build infrastructure including rail, road, and air transport infrastructure as well as the construction of government buildings, schools, and hospitals. China also assisted Africa to develop energy, tourism, trade, and technological transfer in agriculture, etc. In 2022, the two sides propose to deepen further cooperation in these areas.
The theme of the eighth edition of the FOCAC is Deepen China-Africa Partnership and Promote Sustainable Development to Build a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era” as announced by the spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin. The conference, according to a press release would review and assess the follow-up implementation of the outcomes of the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit as well as the joint China-Africa response to Covid-19. It is also expected to chart the future course of China-Africa relations for the next three years and beyond. The expected outcomes of the conference include four important documents, namely, the Dakar Action Plan 2022-2024; the 2035 Vision of China-Africa Cooperation; the Sino-African Declaration on Cooperation on Climate Change; and a final Declaration.
In an interaction with the media, China’s ambassador to Seychelles, Guo Wei, revealed that the forum would focus on transforming and upgrading China-Africa cooperation particularly in key areas such as health, investment and trade, food security, climate change, human resources, and digital innovation.
