Forum On China–Africa Cooperation

The Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) ( zh, s=中非合作论坛, t=中非合作論壇, p=Zhōng Fēi hézuò lùntán; ) is an official forum between the People's Republic of China and all states in Africa with the exception of the Kingdom of Eswatini. It is the primary multi-lateral coordination mechanism between African countries and China and since 2018 is viewed by those countries as a cooperation platform within the Belt and Road Initiative.

Membership and structure

FOCAC is the primary multi-lateral coordination mechanism between African countries and China. Along with the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF), FOCAC was one of the first regional organizations established by China outside its territorial periphery. Since 2018, China and the African states explicitly view FOCAC as a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

As of 2022, the members of FOCAC are 53 African countries (all except Eswatini), China, and the African Union Commission. A number of North African states are dual members of both CASCF and FOCAC: Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan, and Tunisia. Although the African Union has increasingly played a coordinating role since joining CASCF in 2012, each African state represents itself in FOCAC and activities are implemented bilaterally between China and individual African countries.

Each meeting results in a three-year action plan and Chinese pledges of loans, grants, and export credits.

Rationale and principles

Although established following the urgings of African diplomats in the late 1990s, China has taken the lead in FOCAC throughout the existence of the organization. In addition to African requests, China had its own reasons for establishing FOCAC, including: creating an organization to ensure future political and economic influence in Africa in light of other great and rising powers setting up similar organizations, counteracting European Union influence in light of the first EU-Africa Summit, counterbalancing emerging India-Africa and Turkey-Africa cooperation organizations, and advocating for developing country causes.

FOCAC emphasizes political cooperation between Africa and China. The core political norms that China advocates within FOCAC are its Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence: mutual respect for territory and sovereignty, mutual nonaggression, mutual noninterference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence. These principles are a conservative interpretation of the Westphalian norms of state sovereignty.

Foreign aid from China

Chinese foreign aid is a significant area of interaction within FOCAC, and FOCAC is the primary channel through which China provides resources to the African countries. Through FOCAC, China provides aid in the forms of debt forgiveness, aid grants, concessional loans, and interest-free loans. The sole political condition China requires is adherence to the One China principle. Being largely free of political conditions, China's foreign aid diverges from the global model, which requires more political concessions from recipient countries. The FOCAC founding declaration states China's critique of the dominant global mode of foreign aid which, in the Chinese view, results in the mistreatment of developing countries:

Following her interviews of African scholars and diplomats, U.S. Professor of International Securities Studies Dawn C. Murphy concludes that many African countries genuinely appreciate this moral stance by China against political conditions for foreign aid.

At a 2022 FOCAC coordinators’ meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that China would forgive 23 interest-free loans that had matured at the end of 2021 for 17 African countries.

Summits

FOCAC meets every three years, alternating between an African country and China, although the 2021 meeting took place online due to COVID-19. China often uses the occasion of FOCAC summits to solicit African support for the One China Principle. China also expresses support for the African Union and for United Nations peacekeeping missions during FOCAC summits.

2000, Beijing, China

The first Ministerial Conference was held in Beijing from 10 to 12 October 2000. President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji of the State Council, and Vice President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China participated in the conference. More than 80 ministers from China and 44 countries and representatives from 17 international and regional organizations attended this meeting. African attendees included President Gnassingbé Eyadéma of Togo, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, President Frederick Chiluba of Zambia, President Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania, and Secretary-General Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim of the Organization of African Unity. The conference passed the ''Beijing Declaration of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation'' and the ''Programme for China–Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social Development''.

2003, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The second Ministerial Conference was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 15 to 16 December 2003. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, six African presidents, three vice presidents, two other prime ministers, and one president of the senate, as well as President Alpha Oumar Konare of the Commission of African Union, and the representative of the UN Secretary General attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. More than 70 ministers from China and 44 African countries attended the conference. The Conference passed the ''Addis Ababa Action Plan'' (2004–2006).

Through the 2003 FOCAC plan, China announced it would "grant zero-tariff treatment to some commodities of African LDCs nowiki/>least developed countries">least_developed_countries.html" ;"title="nowiki/>least developed countries">nowiki/>least developed countriesfor access to the Chinese market. The Chinese side will, starting from 2004, negotiate lists of tariff-free goods and the rules of origin with the countries concerned on a bilateral basis."

The 2003 summit was the first at which cultural cooperation was a point of emphasis.

2006, Beijing, China

The first FOCAC Summit and the third Ministerial Conference were held in Beijing from November 3 to 5, 2006. Hu Jintao, President of China, and heads of state