The on-going Triennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, FOCAC, holding in Beijing from 4-6 September, raises a fundamental question: do both sides understand the language they speak?
The theme: “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future”, presupposes that both are walking hand-in-hand towards the same direction. But do two walk together unless there is an agreement? The ‘strategic partnership’ agreements being signed by China and individual African countries do not give the impression that they are on the same page.
To formalise these agreements, Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with African leaders like Presidents Felix Tshsekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria and the leaders of Mali, Togo, Djibouti and Comoros.
In my reading of the summit, China’s interests are basically four. First, is to hugely increase its exports and services to Africa which includes…