The German Marshall Fund of the United States

  • Our Organization
    • About GMF
      The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) strengthens transatlantic cooperation on regional, national, and global challenges and opportunities in the spirit of the Marshall Plan.

    Transatlantic Offices

    • Washington, DC
    • Ankara
    • Belgrade
    • Berlin
    • Brussels
    • Bucharest
    • Paris
    • Warsaw
    • Alliance for Securing Democracy
  • Our Work
    • Policy
      GMF provides effective ways forward to solving today’s transatlantic policy issues.
    • Leadership
      GMF programs offer rising leaders dynamic opportunities to hone their leadership skills.
    • Civil Society
      GMF supports civil society by fostering democratic initiatives, rule of law, and regional cooperation.
    • Research
      GMF publications examine the challenges facing the transatlantic region today and offer policy recommendations to address these challenges.
    • Perspectives
      Media, blogs, podcasts, video on the issues shaping the transatlantic relationship.
  • Our Events
    • Major Conferences & Forums
      GMF brings together hundreds of policymakers, elected officials, academics, and business leaders from around the world to discuss topics from energy to migration, economics to security, urban growth to diplomacy.
    • Recent & Upcoming Events
      GMF is committed to bringing the policy community together around transatlantic topics. Learn about events in its offices and other locations around the world.
  • Our Experts
  • Stay Informed
Search
Home
  • Our Experts
  • ABOUT US
  • FOUNDING CHAIRMAN
  • EXPERTS
  • LATEST RESEARCH
  • NEWS&EVENTS
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • SUPPORT CHARHAR

The Charhar Institute

  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Founding Chairman
    • Membership
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
    • Support Charhar
  • Regions

    • All Regions
    • America
    • Europe&Middle East
    • Asia
    • Africa&Latin America
    • Indo-Pacific
  • Topics

    • All Topics
    • Public Diplomacy and International Relations
    • Belt & Road Initiative
    • The Korean Peninsula
    • Economic and Trade
    • Communication
    • Law, Culture and Religion
    • Energy, Safety and Peace
  • Experts

  • Publications

    • All Publications
    • Public Dipmacy Quarterly
    • Other books and reports
    • Charhar Public Diplomacy series
    • Charhar Newsletter
    • Charhar International Relations series
    • Introduction to Public Diplomacy
  • News&Events

    • News&Events
    • Public Diplomacy
    • Peace Studies
    • Belt & Road
    • Charhar News
    • Announcement
    • For Media
Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn
ForeignAffairs.com
  • ABOUT US
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
  • FOUNDING CHAIRMAN
  • EXPERTS
  • LATEST RESEARCH
  • NEWS&EVENTS
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • SUPPORT CHARHAR

NEWS&EVENTS

Facing challenges, US' IPEF may make the Asia-Pacific economy more...

June 09, 2022

Behind Biden’s Asia Trip

June 09, 2022

US sinks its claws back into Somalia with an eye on China and Russia

May 23, 2022

The Taiwan Question amid Russia-Ukraine Conflict

May 06, 2022

China’s Oil Deal v.s. the Dollar Mar 28, 2022

March 28, 2022

Biden’s Indo-Pacific Foray

February 26, 2022
More

Energy, Safety and Peace

Sudan's 'military-civilian co-governance' dies halfway

November 03, 2021

Human rights standards shall not be monopolized

October 14, 2021

Law, Culture and Religion

Israel's diplomatic breakthrough in Maghreb faces challenges

December 11, 2020

Meng ruling makes Ottawa new front line between Washington and Beijing

May 29, 2020

Communication

He Wenping: Fake news fails in damaging Sino-African ties

January 31, 2019

Resistance from within the White House

September 10, 2018

Economic and Trade

Challenges for the G20 in overcoming the pandemic

November 26, 2020

Liberalization and non-interference by government will clean up Pakistan'...

July 07, 2020

The Korean Peninsula

Su Hao: Tokyo should give ground to resolve tensions with Seoul over ‘comfo...

June 26, 2019

Swaran Singh: Can next U.S.-DPRK meeting be expected?

June 12, 2019

Belt & Road Initiative

China-Africa unity sees friendship of new era

January 05, 2021

Unchangeable Commitment

February 19, 2020

Public Diplomacy and International Relations

The key to peace between Russia and Ukraine CGTN

March 03, 2022

Biden’s first year marked by lows and challenges

March 03, 2022
More

Introduction to Public Diplomacy

Diplomatic Theory and Practice

June 21, 2018

Introduction to Public Diplomacy 2nd Edition

June 20, 2018

Charhar International Relations series

International Public Product: China and the World at the Midst of Revolut...

June 21, 2018

Power and Wealth: Economic Nationalism and International Relationships und...

June 21, 2018

Charhar Newsletter

Charhar Newsletter

August 16, 2018

Charhar Public Diplomacy series

Winning the Chinese Hearts and Souls

June 20, 2018

City Diplomacy: China’s Practice and Foreign Experience

June 20, 2018

Other books and reports

The impotence of conventional arms control

March 25, 2020

How Did Stalin Fall into the “Thucydides Trap”

February 27, 2020

Public Dipmacy Quarterly

Public Diplomacy Quarterly

August 17, 2018
More

China-Africa unity sees friendship of new era

January 05 ,2021

88e46430-ec29-4475-9987-eb869ab5e678.jpg

China-Africa relations Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday kicked off his official visits to five African countries - Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Tanzania, and Seychelles. Since 1991, Africa has been the destination for Chinese foreign ministers' first overseas visit each year.

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage into 2021, Wang's visit to Africa embodies China's deep friendship with Africa. It demonstrates the great significance China attaches to Africa.

China highly values its bilateral ties with Africa because the continent is always a priority for China's diplomacy. Africa always firmly bolsters China on the international stage and supports China when it comes to issues concerning China's core national interests.

In terms of economy, Africa has become one of the key destinations for Chinese firms going global. Many African countries are now participants of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Indeed, Foreign Minister Wang said in a recent interview to the Xinhua News Agency and the China Media Group that the friendship between China and Africa "emerged still stronger from the test of COVID-19 in 2020." At a time when China's fight against the coronavirus was the most critical, many African countries offered help to China.

When the pandemic gravely hit many African countries, China lent a helping hand and provided support to them with the utmost of its abilities. Their mutual assistance amid the battle over the deadly disease has deepened China-Africa friendship in profound ways.

As it happened, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2020. FOCAC has become a new model of friendship, cooperation and common development among developing countries. Against the backdrop that unilateralism, trade protectionism, power politics have become major obstacles to international cooperation, the new partnership between China and Africa is of great significance to maintaining multilateralism and globalization.

Some Western public opinion-makers led by the US in 2020 continued to drive a wedge between China and Africa, including distorting China's anti-epidemic measures as discriminating against African people. These were groundless rumors.

In June 2020, when China announced the suspension of debt repayment from 77 developing countries, including many African countries, some Western media outlets said China was launching a charm offensive. These are stereotyped noises. They sound like "debt trap diplomacy" slogans the West uses to tarnish the BRI.

Certain Western political elites and their media outlets see Africa as their sphere of influence - even though they do not really care about the continent. They regard China as moving their cheese when Beijing deepens coordination with African countries. They are jealous and hold a "sour grapes" mentality toward growing ties between China and Africa.

Their malicious slanders against China are intended to hinder China-Africa cooperation, and even drive China out of the African continent. Apart from these malicious public affairs slanders, Western media outlets and politicians intend to curb China's development by demonizing and stigmatizing China. This is an odious bid to continue to take control of international discourses of power in the post-pandemic era. They only spew hate and misinformation about Beijing to obfuscate people from Western pandemic failures.

These slanders toward China seek to influence the coordination between China and Africa. Still, this will not only affect the development of China-Africa ties. However, it holds the potential to impact Chinese firms investing in Africa and for the quality and safety of life for Chinese people living there.

But such influences will be limited. They are not sufficient to shake China-Africa friendships. China will always be Africa's all-weather friend and partner. Their friendship has been tested for over half a century. It will not fall into crisis due to provocations by some Western media outlets and politicians. On the contrary, their friendship will be deepened with these tests.

Wang said that in 2021 China will work with Africa on the three priority areas: vaccine cooperation, economic recovery, and transformative development. These should also be the pivotal domains of China-Africa cooperation this year.

Furthermore, the two sides will have FOCAC meetings in Senegal in 2021. This will further see the building of a more consolidated community for a shared future between China and Africa in the post-pandemic era.

 

Source: Global Times


Author

HE Wenping

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Stay Informed

Don't miss our latest dynamic. Sign up to receive emailed news, events, opinion, and publication notifications.

Subscribe

Follow

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • SoundCloud
  • Instagram
Charhar Institute
  • About Us
  • Founding Chairman
  • Experts
  • Latest Research
  • News&Events
  • Publications
  • Support Charhar
  • Careers

 

"The Charhar Institute is committed to promoting progress in China’s foreign policies and the development of international relations in a more orderly manner."
- Dr Han Fangming,Charhar Chairman

CONTACT US

  • Phone:+86 10 68290431
  • Fax:010-80777830
  • Email:secretariat@charhar.org.cn
  • Facebook:The Charhar Institute
  • Twitter:@CharharINST

©2023 Charhar Institute. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use