China has assured African countries of the full implementation of commitments made at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit before the next ministerial meeting, while reaffirming that Africa remains an equal partner in the cooperation framework.
Mr Shuai Guipeng, Deputy Director of the FOCAC Office at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Beijing.
Guipeng said China remained committed to fulfilling all agreements reached with African countries, stressing that the partnership was founded on equality, mutual respect and shared responsibility rather than a donor-recipient relationship.
“Under China-Africa cooperation, both sides are treated as equal partners. Africa is not merely a recipient of cooperation,” he said.
He noted that implementation of the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit was progressing steadily, with China and African countries jointly advancing projects agreed under the cooperation framework.
According to him, China-Africa cooperation has evolved beyond infrastructure development to include the joint operation and long-term management of completed projects to ensure their sustainability.
Guipeng cited the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya as an example, explaining that Chinese partners did not simply complete the project and leave but established a joint operating company with Kenyan partners to ensure its efficient operation and long-term benefits.
“This is a vivid example showing that Africa is not just a one-way recipient of our cooperation,” he said.
Speaking on implementation challenges, Guipeng said the issue was not a lack of commitment but the sheer volume of projects scheduled for delivery within a limited timeframe.
“The implementation of FOCAC is progressing smoothly. The challenge is that there is limited time and there are many projects we want to accomplish,” he said.
He expressed confidence that all outcomes of the Beijing Summit would be fully implemented 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.
“The implementation of FOCAC summit commitments is an important part of our work. Higher levels of the Party supervise the implementation.
“As long as we make a commitment and reach an agreement with African countries, it will be implemented,” he said.
Responding to questions on Africa’s role in maximising the benefits of the partnership, Guipeng reiterated that China regarded African countries as active development partners rather than aid beneficiaries.
He assured African countries of China’s continued commitment to working with them to ensure the successful implementation of all agreed projects and initiatives.
“Our friends from the media can rest assured that the implementation of the FOCAC summit outcomes will be completed smoothly and successfully,” he said. (NAN)
