Forty Five Years of Working Hand in Hand: A Review and Outlook on Friendship Between China and Djibouti

Wang Jing Abdourahman MOHAMED AHMED

Since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979， China and Djibouti have made significant progress in developing bilateral relations， with the two countries supporting and cooperating with each other and the two peoples sharing a strong bond. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China， with the joint efforts of China and Djibouti， the bilateral relations have enjoyed comprehensive and rapid development. Such architecture as the Peoples Palace and Hassan Gouled Stadium built with aid from China， have become monumental complex as well as a witness to the profound friendship between the two peoples. In addition， a large number of bilateral cooperation projects such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway and Doraleh Multipurpose Port are also making steady progress. Other projects such as the Arta hospital， Ethiopia-Djibouti cross-border potable water project， basic education schools， national library and archives and social housing， will also bring tangible benefits to the people of Djibouti， contributing to further and deeper friendly cooperation between China and Djibouti.

China-Djibouti Cooperation in Regional Security

Located at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea， Djibouti has served as an important crossroads connecting Africa and Asia and thus is of great strategic significance for maintaining regional security. Since the end of the 20th century， about one-fifth of international merchant ships have sailed cross the Red Sea， the stability of which is highly relevant to the health of international economy. In 2009， more than 20 countries， coordinated by the United Nations， jointly carried out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden. Ever since， the Djibouti government has invited warships from various countries to access supplies and build military facilities within the country. Such efforts not only beef up Djiboutis defense capabilities， but also to some extent safeguard the security and stability of the surrounding areas.

China and Djibouti have engaged in strategic communication and pragmatic cooperation at multiple levels in the field of military security. They work together to strengthen exchanges of experience and capacity building in counter-terrorism， jointly combat cross-border crimes， especially maritime crimes， and maintain peace and stability of the Red Sea. Through friendly consultations， the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army put into operation its overseas support base Djibouti on August 1st， 2017. The base helps China fulfill with a higher efficiency its international obligations such as humanitarian aid operations and escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia as well as boosts the economic and social development of Djibouti.

Kadiye， the editor-in-chief of La Nation， emphasized that “Chinas efforts to ensure maritime transportation safety through escort and combating piracy are not only essential for China， but also have far-reaching impacts on Djibouti.” He said that since Djiboutis economy largely depends on ports， security in the Gulf of Aden directly decides the cargo volume. China has made tremendous contributions to ensuring maritime transportation safety and the cooperation between China and Djibouti in the fields of escort， supplies and security are based on the principle of mutual benefits and win-win outcomes. Such cooperation in regional security， covering various aspects and being long-term in nature， is aimed at jointly safeguarding peace and stability and promoting economic development and social progress of the region.

China-Djibouti Cooperation in Economy and Trade

China and Djibouti have carried out extensive trade and investment cooperation， boosting regional economic growth and prosperity as well as providing effective safeguard for regional peace and stability. The two sides have jointly advanced the Belt and Road Initiative cooperation， reached important consensus on the vision of Global Development Initiative and formulated relevant action plans. These measures have effectively consolidated the foundation of political mutual trust between China and Djibouti， deepened pragmatic cooperation in economy and various other fields， and elevated the bilateral relations to a new level.

Chinas infrastructure projects in Djibouti cover many fields， the successful implementation of which provides strong support and guarantees the local economic and social development. In terms of hospitals and schools， China aided the construction of the Republic of Djibouti Hospital and the Dodiwaregal Middle School， helping to uplift local healthcare and education levels. In terms of transportation， China has aided the construction of the main road linking the capital city of Djibouti and Zouerate， the bridge across the Tajul Strait and other infrastructure projects， improving local transportation conditions and accelerating economic development. To finance the infrastructure construction， China proactively participates in the financing cooperation for infrastructure projects in Djibouti. By providing loans， guarantees and other financial tools， China helps the Djibouti government address challenges in financing and speeds up project construction.

The first overseas hydraulic project implemented by the China State Construction is at the Port of Djibouti. As a maritime transportation hub， Djibouti has become a key gateway between Asia， Africa， and Europe as well as a critical node on the western route of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The Doraleh Multipurpose Port （Phase I） is the first hydraulic project implemented by a Chinese construction enterprise in Africa and the largest of its kind overseas. The designed annual throughput capacity is as high as 7.08 million tons and 200，000 standard containers. In January 2013， China Merchants Holdings （International） Company Limited entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire 23.5% stake in Port of Djibouti from Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority for $185 million， marking a solid step in the cooperation of port construction between China and Djibouti. As the Doraleh Multipurpose Port continues to be constructed and improved， Djiboutis shipping capacity and international position will be further lifted.

An important milestone in the bilateral economic cooperation is the Special Economic Zone established by China in Djibouti， which boosts Djiboutis economic growth and also deepens the economic and trade ties between the two countries. The Torchroad Djibouti Special Economic Zone is the first of its kind established by a privately-owned Chinese company in an African country. It covers a vast area consisting of five land blocks， including the RasSiyyan， Seven Brothers Islands， Obock， Iles Moucha and Hayabley in the urban area of Djibouti. The government of Djibouti has authorized the Touchroad International Holdings Group exclusive management rights to build tourist cities， airports and seaports， provide ship supply services and establish financial， telecommunications， and medical centers inside the special economic zone. No further approval from the Djibouti government is needed for any construction within the special economic zone. The decision will be made by the Touchroad International Holdings Group according to Chinese standards and regulations. Thus， the economic zone has salient features of “government authorization”， “long-term leasing”， “exclusive autonomy in operation and management” and “radiation throughout East Africa”. It not only creates jobs and delivers economic growth to Djibouti， but also provides Chinese enterprises with opportunities to invest and develop in the East African region.

The free trade zone established by China in Djibouti has also made impressive achievements. The Djibouti China International Free Trade Zone， starting operation in 2018， is jointly invested and operated by China Merchants Group， Dalian Port Group and other Chinese enterprises. This free trade zone in Djibouti not only enhances economic and trade cooperation between China and Djibouti， but also has a positive impact on the economic and social development of Djibouti. With the construction of this free trade zone， Djibouti becomes well positioned to further integrate into the global economic system， improve the level of trade facilitation， attract more international investment and enterprises， promote local economic development and generate more employment.

The special economic zone and the free trade zones established by China in Djibouti represent positive outcomes of economic cooperation between the two countries， which deliver opportunities for economic growth and employment to Djibouti as well as provide a platform for Chinese enterprises to invest and develop in the East African region. The successful implementation of these projects not only deepens the economic and trade ties between the two countries， but also makes positive contributions to regional peace， stability， and prosperity.

Cooperation Between China and Djibouti in People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges

With Chinas development and increasing international influence， more and more Djibouti students choose China as the destination for overseas studies， majoring in Chinese， engineering technology， medicine， economic management and other disciplines. With the experience of studying in China， they hope to enhance understanding of China and contribute to the development of Djibouti. Their life is full and exciting in China， with access to high-quality education and exposure to a variety of cultural exchange activities to learn about Chinas history， culture and society. As inheritors of China-Djibouti， these students play an essential role in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the people of China and Djibouti and pushing forward exchanges and cooperation in the field of education and culture.

In 2019， the Djibouti Luban Workshop， jointly established by the Tianjin Railway Vocational and Technical College， Tianjin First Commercial School， Djibouti Business School and the China Civil Engineering Group Corporation， was put into operation. The workshop is the first Luban Workshop established by China in Africa， dedicated to serving the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway and Djibouti economic and trade ports and providing academic education and vocational training for African youth. In February 2022， the agreement to establish the Confucius Institute in Djibouti was signed by the Chinese International Education Foundation， the National Education and Vocational Training of Djibouti and Sichuan Normal University. In March 2024， Yangzhou Polytechnic College signed a contract with the Torchroad Djibouti Special Economic Zone to jointly establish the Zhenghe College and cultivate vocational and technical talents in a targeted way for the Torchroad Djibouti Special Economic Zone.

China-Djibouti cooperation in education has benefited the people of Djibouti， empowering the younger generation of Djibouti through such a diversity of platforms as Chinese-aid training programs for human resources， education programs awarding diplomas and Luban workshop. In the past three years， the two sides have worked together to successfully train about 2000 students for Djibouti， effectively improving their professional competence and injecting new vitality into Djiboutis socioeconomic development.

China and Djibouti also witness more cultural exchange programs as their cooperation deepens. Djibouti was invited to participate in the World Expo 2010 Shanghai. Within the Africa Joint Pavilion located at Zone C of the Expo Park， the Djibouti Pavilion attracted tremendous attention with its unique design. The cultural charisma of Djibouti is fully exhibited in Dabwata， its traditional residential buildings， as well as traditional paintings and handicrafts. In 2021， Djibouti was invited to build the Djibouti Garden at the Yangzhou International Horticultural Exposition， which integrated Djiboutis outlines of map， cultural landscape and animal and plant resources into the exhibition design， demonstrating Djiboutis cultural glamour.

Chinese enterprises have hosted various economic and trade exhibitions in Djibouti， which showcase the competitiveness and products of Chinese enterprises and also provide opportunities for Djibouti to cooperate with Chinese enterprises to promote bilateral economic and trade relations. In the meantime， China also hosts cultural exhibitions to display its time-honored history and splendid culture and enhance understanding and friendship between the two peoples. In addition， China has also participated in multiple international cooperation projects in Djibouti. While boosting local economic and social development in Djibouti， these projects also set new shining examples for China-Africa cooperation.

China and Djibouti have also jointly hosted large-scale exhibitions， such as the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and the Exhibition on Economic Cooperation Achievements of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation （FOCAC）. Through cultural exchanges and business visits， the two countries have promoted personnel exchanges. Whats more， the Chinese government actively supports the development of local tourism in Djibouti by contributing to the construction of local hotel facilities， improving tourism services and expanding tourism market. In addition， China has also provided multiple tourism aid projects to Djibouti to help improve its tourism infrastructure and hospitality capacity. These measures have effectively pushed forward exchanges and cooperation in the tourism industry between China and Djibouti.

With frequent exchanges in such fields as culture， education and technology， China and Djibouti have enhanced mutual understanding and friendship. These cultural exchange activities not only promote friendly exchanges between the two peoples， but also deepen trust and cooperation between the two countries as well as boost the development and prosperity of their cultures.

Outlook on the Future

Over the past 45 years， China and Djibouti have always adhered to the principles of equality， mutual benefits， sincerity and friendship， continuously deepened cooperation across the board， jointly responded to the international vicissitudes and achieved remarkable achievements that have attracted worldwide attention. From the initial trade exchanges to cultural exchanges and educational cooperation， and now to the strategic partnership， China and Djibouti have always maintained close exchanges and cooperation， bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries. Looking ahead， China and Djibouti will embrace broader prospects for development and huge potential for cooperation.

The first is to continue the joint efforts to advance the Belt and Road Initiative. During the 2019 FOCAC Beijing Summit， Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh. The two sides reached consensus on jointly advancing the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting the strategic partnership. President Guelleh suggested that “the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping is unique， and will make considerable contribution to enhancing international development and cooperation building an interconnected and better world. Djibouti and China have reaped plenty of cooperation outcomes. Djibouti is grateful that Chinas genuine and friendly assistance have helpd Djibouti seek development， create jobs and face the future more confidently”.

In the past few years， China and Djibouti have joined hands to advance the Belt and Road Initiative. Djibouti has achieved rapid economic growth， maintaining an annual GDP growth rate of 7% for many years. The joint efforts of China and Djibouti to advance the Belt and Road Initiative have entered a new stage of high-quality development. Both sides agreed to continue to closely synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with Djiboutis national development goals and promote “Five Connectivities” at a higher level and with higher standards. On the basis of the existing cooperation achievements， the two countries will explore opportunities in broader sectors and at a deeper level to jointly address challenges and work together to build a China-Djibouti community with a shared future.

The second is to contribute to the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future. In his first speech on African policy in Dar es Salaam， Tanzania， Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the vision of “a China-Africa community with a shared future”， expressing his high regard and praise for China-Africa relations. At the FOCAC Beijing Summit held from September 2 to 4， 2018， many African leaders， the Chairman of the African Union Commission， the Secretary General of the United Nations and representatives of 27 international and African regional organizations gathered together to seek cooperation and development and draw a blueprint for the future under the theme of “China and Africa： Toward an Even Stronger Community with a Shared Future through Win-Win Cooperation”.

The friendly relationship between China and Djibouti has injected positive energy into the stability and development of the African continent. The bilateral cooperation is not only conducive to their own economic development， but also facilitates the interconnectivity and common development of the entire African continent. The friendly relationship between China and Djibouti provides solid support for building the China-Africa community with a shared future. China has always followed the principle of sincerity， real results， amity and good faith for Chinas Africa policy and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests in its devotion to building the China-Africa community with a shared future. Through closer cooperation with Djibouti and other African countries， China has continuously uplifted its relations with Africa and injected new momentum in building the China-Africa community with a shared future and a community with a shared future for mankind.

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Wang Jing is Lecturer of the School of Tourism of Yangzhou Polytechnic College and Abdourahman MOHAMED AHMED is Master Student of the Yangzhou University