The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has proven to be productive and effective in boosting China-Africa cooperation, a Chinese special envoy said.
Zhou Yuxiao, China's ambassador for FOCAC affairs, said this in an interview with Xinhua prior to the FOCAC Beijing Summit in September, expressing his confidence in the event's success.
Zhou said FOCAC has grown into a dynamic mechanism with rich content and tangible results, following the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith and the values of friendship, justice, and shared interests.
"China neither imposes its own will on others nor seeks its sphere of influence," said Zhou. "The concept of 'extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits' is upheld when China cooperates with African countries."
FOCAC was founded in 2000 and its membership had grown to have China, 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China, and the African Union Commission as of June 2018, according to the FOCAC website.
Under the FOCAC framework, there are regular consultations at ministerial and senior-official levels, and between the Chinese Follow-up Committee and the African Diplomatic Corps in China. Sub-forums on business, youth, health and poverty reduction, and many others, have also been set up.
FOCAC has held two summits gathering leaders of China and African countries, one in Beijing in 2006 and another in Johannesburg in 2015.
"FOCAC is not for idle words, but a platform to unleash real actions," said Zhou.
The veteran diplomat, who spent years in Africa and served as the Chinese ambassadors to Liberia and Zambia, said he had witnessed the development of FOCAC over the years.
It began with small steps, with a focus on aid, trade, debt relief, personnel training but gradually grew to a comprehensive platform that covers industrialization, agricultural modernization, financing, green development, people-to-people exchanges, and security.
FOCAC has won wide support from African countries for its efficient enforcement means, clear time-bound action plans, and an effective evaluation system, Zhou said.
He also attributed the mechanism's effectiveness to the adequate funding. For example, Zhou said, China pledged financing support amounting to 60 billion U.S. dollars to implement the ten cooperation plans announced at the 2015 FOCAC summit in Johannesburg.
Projects can also be funded by the Silk Road Fund or the BRICS New Development Bank. Meanwhile, the Chinese government encourages trustworthy and competent Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa.
Both China's ability to "walk the walk" and African countries' active collaboration are key to the success of FOCAC, Zhou said.
"That is why FOCAC has earned wide recognition from African countries as well as the international community, and expectations are high for the upcoming summit," said Zhou.
The summit is scheduled for September 3 to 4 in Beijing. Priorities and key directions for China-Africa cooperation in the next three years will be announced.
A key aspect to watch, Zhou said, will be how China and Africa link the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the African Union's Agenda 2063, and African countries' development plans.
With the "twin engines" of the BRI and FOCAC, China-Africa cooperation is poised to move forward more steadily, faster and further.
"I'm confident that the summit will be a complete success," said Zhou.
