Key Points
- China says it will fully implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit before the next ministerial meeting.
- Beijing reaffirmed that African countries remain equal partners in the cooperation framework.
- Chinese officials say projects are now focused on long-term sustainability through joint management.
- China says delivering FOCAC commitments is part of its internal government performance assessment.
Main story
China has assured African countries that all commitments made at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit will be fully implemented before the next ministerial meeting.
The assurance was given by the Deputy Director of the FOCAC Office at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Shuai Guipeng, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Beijing on Monday.
Guipeng said China remained committed to fulfilling all agreements reached with African countries, stressing that the partnership was based on equality, mutual respect and shared responsibility rather than a donor-recipient relationship.
“China and Africa will be treated on an equal footing. Africa will not just be a recipient of the cooperation,” he said.
He added that implementation of the Beijing Summit outcomes was progressing smoothly, with both China and African countries jointly advancing projects agreed under the cooperation framework.
According to him, China-Africa cooperation has evolved beyond infrastructure delivery to include joint operation and long-term management of completed projects to ensure sustainability.
Guipeng cited the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya as an example, noting that Chinese partners established a joint operating company with Kenyan counterparts to manage the railway after its completion.
“This is a vivid example showing that Africa is not just a one-way recipient of our cooperation,” he said.
On implementation challenges, Guipeng said the issue was not a lack of commitment but the large number of projects scheduled for delivery within a limited period.
“The implementation of FOCAC is smooth itself. The challenge is that we don’t have enough time and there are too many things we want to do,” he said.
He expressed confidence that all commitments made at the Beijing Summit would be completed before the next FOCAC ministerial meeting.
Guipeng also disclosed that implementing FOCAC commitments had become part of the Communist Party of China’s internal performance assessment, with officials expected to ensure agreed projects were delivered.
“As long as we make a commitment and reach an agreement with African countries, it will be implemented,” he said.
He reiterated that China regarded African countries as active partners in development cooperation and assured them of continued collaboration to achieve the summit’s objectives.
The issues
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation remains the primary platform for economic and development cooperation between China and African countries. Its commitments span infrastructure, trade, industrialisation, health, agriculture, digital development and capacity building, with implementation closely watched by participating countries.
What’s being said
“As long as we make a commitment and reach an agreement with African countries, it will be implemented.” — Shuai Guipeng, Deputy Director, FOCAC Office
What’s next
China and African countries are expected to continue implementing projects agreed at the FOCAC Beijing Summit ahead of the next ministerial meeting, where progress on the commitments will likely be reviewed.
Bottom line
China says it remains committed to delivering all FOCAC Beijing Summit agreements, while emphasising a partnership model based on equality, shared responsibility and long-term project sustainability.
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