Diplomats laud FOCAC for enhancing Africa-China partnership, South-South cooperation

Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2021, shows Hawassa Industrial Park in Hawassa, Ethiopia. [Xinhua/Michael Tewelde]

African diplomats have praised the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) for strengthening the partnership between the two sides and promoting South-South cooperation.

ADDIS ABABA -- African diplomats have praised the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) for strengthening the partnership between the two sides and promoting South-South cooperation.

At a high-level conference on Ethiopia's role in FOCAC in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Tuesday, diplomats said of the many partnership platforms Africa has today, FOCAC remains the most strategically intertwined and far-reaching in its depth, scope and level of cooperation.

"FOCAC is the result of genuine efforts to institutionalize the China-Africa partnership and is considered a model for South-South cooperation," said Tefera Derbew, the Ethiopian ambassador to China, while presenting a paper on the FOCAC platform at the conference.

He noted that unlike other partnerships that African countries established with external actors, China has been providing comparatively better resources for implementing FOCAC and transferring technology, knowledge and skills to Africa.

"FOCAC has yielded significant outcomes, including large-scale infrastructure projects, increased trade and investment between China and African countries, capacity-building initiatives and cultural exchanges," said Derbew.

This aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 11, 2023, shows the Lebu Railway Station in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. [Xinhua/Wang Guansen]

The diplomat added that FOCAC adheres to non-interference principles and largely aligns with Africa's aspirations and priorities of Agenda 2063, with a special focus on enhancing political, economic and cultural cooperation.

Ayele Lire, Ethiopia's permanent representative to the African Union (AU), said FOCAC prompts equality and mutual benefits for Africa and China and has given impetus to South-South cooperation.

"Africa has benefited a lot from China's support in building power generation infrastructure, economic and trade zones, industrial parks, export processing zones and special economic zones, which are the foundation for building local capacity," Lire said.

Established in 2000, FOCAC aims to enhance political, economic and cultural cooperation between China and African countries as well as promote mutual development, people-to-people exchanges and relations. It covers a wide range of areas, including infrastructure, agriculture, trade, cultural exchanges, education, and healthcare cooperation between China and African countries.