The 2024 Forum on China-Africa Summit Summit held in Beijing, China, in early September demonstrated that the concept of modernisation – which by its basic definition a reference to a state of human advancement through a systematic model economically, socially and politically – is the common denominator between China and Africa.
Fani Zvomuya
The theme of the summit was, “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future”.
If one were to take the definition proffered above, there is a lot that can be deduced from the summit in particular, and China-Africa relations in general, which must be carefully dissected for people to understand the dynamics of China-Africa relations from the past to to future directions and trajectories.
The Focac summit was not just another event that came and went, something that can be said of many gatherings between the continent and other global players who convened similar events from the East to the West: particularly, China has made history count; and it has made the politics count – a currency that it enjoys better than any.
But there is something more.
China has realised that modernisation is the common aspiration between itself and Africa, a commonality that is not shared with, or by, any other global player in the sense of China and Africa’s similar historical and development paths and trajectories.
Equally, African countries have appreciated China for not just its historical connections, but its example and testimony, as well as position as a partner and friend to walk the journey of modernisation, where noone else would be a veritable peer.
Definitely, not former colonisers. African leaders have politely obliged the invitation to parley with other global powers, but the courtesy is probably just about enough, as seen in how such examples have lacked gravitas and thus became forgettable.
This year’s Focac summit looks set to linger longer in the memory of African leaders because of its scale and outcomes, but also because of the agenda that the two sides set for themselves.
“Modernisation is an inalienable right of all countries,” President Xi Jinping of China declared during the summit.
He noted that the Western approach to modernisation had “inflicted immense sufferings on developing countries”, impliedly through imperialism and colonialism and the current unfair global system in which the West controls political and financial levers of power.
However, this status quo is being challenged because China, according to President Xi, is “going all out to build a great modern socialist country in all respects and pursue national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization” while “Africa is also awakening again, and the continent is marching in solid strides toward the modernization goals set forth in the AU’s Agenda 2063”.
President Xi said: “China and Africa’s joint pursuit of modernization will set off a wave of modernization in the Global South, and open a new chapter in our drive for a community with a shared future for mankind.”
This position reinforced what he enunciated in 2018 during the Focac Summit in Beijing when he declared that, “China and Africa have long forged a community of a shared future, and we rise and fall together.”
Western modernisation
We have just mentioned above that Western modernisation was achieved through imperialism and colonialism. And, oh, the slave trade! The whole architecture of Western civilisation and modernisation was built on the exploitation of other people and their resources from the east to the West; and from the North to the South.
History is littered with the tales of Western bloodbath. The current system of Western domination is also built on exploitation and suppression of the so-called “lesser peoples” and other regions, something that the West is fighting to maintain hegemony and dominance.
By contrast, China and Africa – and the Global South – have had to fight western exploitation and subjugation and are working to achieve modernisation without the benefit of colonialism or imperialism.
In theory, Western approach to modernisation is different from what we have seen in China; and there is growing wisdom that it is not the only path, and that countries in the Global South need not to follow it.
Western scholars largely see modernisation as a development paradigm involving a uniform evolutionary route that all societies follow, from agricultural, rural, and traditional societies to postindustrial, urban, and modern forms. They argue that all societies, once engaged in the modernization process, follow a predetermined sequence of developmental stages: traditional economies, transition to takeoff, takeoff itself, drive to maturity, age of high consumption, and postindustrial society.
As such modernisation theory emphasizes internal forces and sources of socioeconomic development such as formal education, market-based economy, and democratic and secular political structures, although it does not rule out external forces and sources of social change and economic development.
This conventional understanding has its limitations.
First, and most importantly, it assumes modernisation should follow a uniform template based on Western models. This has been since disproved by what has been witnessed in countries such as China and other emerging economies that grew out of local conditions.
The second limitation is that attempting to follow the conventions and models of development has led to global architecture foisting unworkable solutions that have led to the opposite of what is intended. This is especially seen in structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) that were prevalent in the 20th century, applied through the Bretton Woods institutions. They invariably were disastrous and led to upheavals and erosion of social and economic gains that had been achieved, especially in newly-independent nations.
Zimbabwe’s experience in the 1990s is telling.
Unfortunately, these SAPs are still being foisted on poorer countries in one guise or another, as the Bretton Woods and Western masters seek to maintain a chokehold on the global economy and thinking.
However, this is about to change with countries becoming more self-aware.
Currently, China using its own successes over the past four decades as an example, is showing the glaring limitations of Western thought on modernisation and is even arguing fervently that modernisation is not uniform and that countries of the world need to follow their own unique paths.
A top official in China, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, last year noted that during modern times there had been a tendency “to look to the West for a formula of modernisation”, but it all failed in China until it developed its own path.
“Modernization is a common cause of all humanity,” he asserted. “Although the West enjoyed the fruits of modernization ahead of others, history will not end there.”
Qin added: “Ample facts have proved that there is no fixed model of, or single solution to, modernization. Any country can achieve modernization, as long as the path suits its conditions and answers the need of its people for development. On the contrary, mechanically copying ill-fitted foreign models is counter-productive, and may even lead to catastrophic consequences.”
Qin’s assertions – delivered during Lanting Forum on Chinese Modernization and the World event – mirror what President Xi said at this year’s Focac.
Pursuit of modernisation: A China-Africa agenda
President Xi highlighted a number of areas and characteristics of how China and Africa could jointly pursue modernisation; and these are in themselves profound thoughts that should challenge stakeholders on how they should be brought into practice as well as stimulate debate, especially among scholars, think tanks and media.
President Xi said: “We should jointly advance modernization that is just and equitable. In promoting modernization, we should not only follow the general rules, but also act in light of our national realities.”
He said China was ready to increase exchanges of governance experience with Africa, support all countries in exploring modernization paths befitting their national conditions, and help ensure equal rights and equal opportunities for all countries.
He said China and Africa should jointly advance modernization that is open and win-win. “Mutually beneficial cooperation is the sunny road to the betterment of long-term and fundamental interests of all countries,” said he.
China is ready to deepen cooperation with Africa in industry, agriculture, infrastructure, trade and investment, promote exemplary, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation projects, and build together a model for the delivery of the Global Development Initiative, he explained.
He exhorted the two sides to jointly advance modernization that puts the people first.
“The ultimate goal of modernization is the free and full development of human beings. China will work vigorously with Africa to promote personnel training, poverty reduction and employment, enhance the sense of gain, happiness and security of the people in the course of modernization, and ensure that all will benefit from the process,” he said.
He also said modernization should be characterised by diversity and inclusiveness to achieve “well-balanced material and spiritual advancement”, which is a “lofty objective of modernization”. China committed to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Africa, champion mutual respect, inclusiveness and coexistence of different civilizations on our way to modernization, and strive together for more fruitful outcomes under the Global Civilization Initiative which he first propounded last year.
Modernisation should be “eco-friendly”, said President Xi, and he proposed “green development”, with China offering to help Africa build “green growth engines,” narrow the gap in energy accessibility, adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and jointly push for the global transition to green and low-carbon development.
Lastly, President Xi asserted that modernization “would not be possible without a peaceful and stable environment for development” hence, China is ready to join hands with Africa to improve the latter’s capacity in safeguarding peace and stability independently, prioritize Africa in implementing the Global Security Initiative (GSI), promote mutual reinforcement of high-quality development and greater security, and work together with Africa to uphold world peace and stability.
A force to reckon with
A favourite line made of the close relations between China and Africa, is that China is “the world’s largest developing country, while Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries”.
This explains, in part, why China and Africa find it easier to work together, on top of the shared history and common experiences and aspirations.
The deepening relations between the two sides, which are also cascading down to ordinary people, especially the young, make China-Africa relations a force to reckon with – and there is little doubt that the continued fruitful cooperation will yield a good harvest.
Modernisation will be achieved through this close relationship.
“China and Africa account for one-third of the world population. Without our modernization, there will be no global modernization,” President Xi said, demonstrating immense clarity and acuity.
He added: “Let us rally the more than 2.8 billion Chinese and African people into a powerful force on our shared path toward modernization, promote modernization of the Global South with China-Africa modernization, and write a new magnificent chapter of development in human history.
“Let us join hands to bring about a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for our world.”
*The writer is an associate researcher with Ruzivo Media & Resource Centre, a Zimbabwean think tank that analyses global and local issues
