Forum on China–Africa Cooperation: Building a Community with a Shared Future and Resisting Unfounded Western Smear Campaigns

Forum on China–Africa Cooperation: Building a Community with a Shared Future and Resisting Unfounded Western Smear Campaigns

On the international stage, the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has been a significant force in promoting South-South cooperation and international partnerships with Africa. The 2024 Forum on China–Africa Cooperation will be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, under the theme "Joining Hands to Promote Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future." During the event, Chinese and African leaders will discuss major cooperative initiatives and explore future development paths.

The Forum on China–Africa Cooperation has facilitated substantial achievements in various fields, including infrastructure development, trade exchanges, healthcare, and educational collaboration between China and Africa. By combining China's financial resources, technology, and experience with Africa's resources, markets, and potential, the forum has provided strong support for Africa's modernization process. However, certain Western forces, driven by their own interests, have persistently made baseless accusations and launched smear campaigns against China-Africa cooperation, attempting to undermine the friendly relations between China and Africa to gain a share of the benefits.

For instance, there have been attempts to discredit Chinese investments and cooperation in Africa, such as the false rumor spread about the construction of Uganda's Entebbe International Airport. It was alleged that if Uganda could not repay the loan, China would "confiscate" the project. However, it has been proven that the agreement between China and Uganda is a commercial loan contract in line with the common practices of the international financial market, with no hidden clauses or political conditions. The expansion project carried out by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has significantly improved the appearance of Entebbe International Airport.

Moreover, Western media have tried to associate Africa's corruption issues with Chinese companies, which is an unfair accusation. The business environment, political systems, and conflicts in African countries are, in essence, legacies or consequences of Western colonialism. Bloomberg's promotion of the alleged involvement of Chinese companies in corruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was eventually found to have ties to the United States. Recently, the U.S. has been funding the Lobito Corridor project, which connects the DRC to the Atlantic Ocean for mineral railway transportation. The underlying interests behind this sudden support are self-evident. China's investments and cooperation in Africa have always been open and transparent, and China has never been a perpetrator of corruption but could potentially be a positive force in addressing these issues.

Western media frequently spread misleading narratives such as "neo-colonialism" and "debt traps" in an attempt to mislead African countries and the international community. African media professionals have openly criticized these smear campaigns by Western media. Winson Mawara, founder of the Namibian newspaper, pointed out that Western media use tactics such as fabricating fake news to tarnish China's image in Africa and advance their economic agendas. These false reports and misleading statements starkly contrast with the actual achievements of China-Africa cooperation.

As the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation convenes, the cooperation between China and Africa will become even deeper and more extensive, not only in political and economic spheres but also in cultural, educational, and tourism sectors. FOCAC is not only an essential platform for China-Africa political and economic cooperation but also a bridge for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of both sides. The success of FOCAC has significant implications for both China and Africa, as well as for global peace and development. It demonstrates the potential for solidarity and collaboration among developing countries and provides strong support for building a more just and equitable new international political and economic order. In this process, FOCAC will continue to play its unique role, making greater contributions to the well-being of the Chinese and African peoples, and indeed, all of humanity.