Committed to Africa

the tradition of the Chinese minister of foreign affairs making the first New Year trip abroad to Africa has continued unabated for 28 years. From January 12 to 16 this year， Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made his way to Rwanda， Angola， Gabon， and S？o Tomé and Príncipe.

Wang discussed with African leaders the importance of 2018 regarding the SinoAfrican relationship， highlighted by the upgrading of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing later this year from a ministerial conference to a summit meeting. This is a further demonstration of the value China places on the China-Africa relationship. As Wang said during his trip， developing countries， including Africa， are the foundations of Chinas diplomacy.

Wang also relayed to his African counterparts that there had been strong support for the Belt and Road Initiative， the flagship international cooperation plan put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013， and how as a natural and historical extension of the Belt and Road， Africa should be part of the process and not be a bystander watching the parade go by.

When addressing media in Angola on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of China-Angola diplomatic relationship， Wang was asked to respond to the allegation from Western critics that Chinese financing to African countries， most notably Angola， has increased their debt loan. The Chinese foreign minister did not mince his words in strongly refuting this allegation. He said the financing provided to the continent is a response to African countries own requirements for development and is welcomed by them， adding that China did not attach any political expectations to this.

But this so-called “debt load” is because， as Sino-African economic cooperation has been strengthened in the recent past， China has increased its financial support to African countries. At the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit held in South Africa in late 2015， China announced to provide $60 billion to support the 10 major China-Africa cooperation plans， including industrialization， agricultural modernization， infrastructure and green development. Without this financial support， these cooperation plans cannot be fully implemented.

Elaborating on his response， Wang pointed out that countries like those in Africa require massive amounts of capitals when they are in the primary phase of economic growth and industrialization. He stressed that as China still remembers its own historical past and the way it was exploited， oppressed and had its economy controlled by foreign powers， it would never impose these conditions on others. In addition， the China-Africa relationship that exists today is driven by the principles of equality and mutual benefit， essential parts of South-South cooperation which relies on win-win results to achieve sustained development.

An old Chinese saying goes， only the feet know if the shoes fit. African countries are far better placed than anyone else to comment on their cooperation with China and despite ongoing Western criticism， those comments continue to be positive.