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Conference

Dakar Declaration of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation

Source: MFA 2021-12-22 16:51

2021-12-03 

1. We, the Heads of Delegation of the People's  Republic of China, 53 African countries and the African Union Commission (AUC),  gathered in Dakar, Senegal on 29-30 November 2021 for the Eighth Ministerial  Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Under the  theme "Deepen China-Africa Partnership and Promote Sustainable Development to  Build a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era" and  committed to the development of FOCAC and to the deepening of the China-Africa  comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership, we adopted by consensus the  Dakar Declaration of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC.

2. Facing COVID-19 pandemic, of a scale unseen in a  century, the world has entered a new phase of uncertainty, with headwinds to  multilateralism and increasingly serious global challenges such as climate  change and terrorism. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the governance and  development deficits of human society and posed a serious threat to the life and  health of people of all countries. Facing the pandemic, China and African  countries have taken robust, proactive and effective measures, and made  important contributions to the global response accordingly.

3. We recall and fully endorse the vision of a  community with a shared future for mankind, which has been commended by leaders  of China and Africa at various levels of engagement. We call on countries around  the world to work in concert to promote the shared interests of all humanity,  build an open, inclusive, clean, environmentally friendly and sustainable world  that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity, foster a  new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice,  and win-win cooperation.

4. We are satisfied with the fruitful results of the  China-Africa relationship achieved since the establishment of diplomatic ties  between China and African countries and the creation of FOCAC. We applaud the  unanimous decision of Chinese and African leaders at the 2018 FOCAC Beijing  Summit to build a China-Africa community with a shared future that assumes joint  responsibility, pursues win-win cooperation, delivers happiness for all, enjoys  cultural prosperity, enjoys common security and promotes harmony between man and  nature. We are determined to elevate the China-Africa comprehensive strategic  and cooperative partnership to even higher levels and setting a good example of  a community with a shared future for mankind.

5. China and Africa will uphold and value the  principles of no harm and harmony, sincerity, equality, mutual respect, mutual  benefits, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing greater good and  shared interests, and adopt a people-oriented approach in pursuing practical  cooperation with efficiency and embrace openness and inclusiveness. China is  committed to no interference in African countries' pursuit of development paths  that suit their national conditions, no interference in the internal affairs of  African countries, no imposition of its own will on African countries, no  attachment of political strings to assistance to Africa, and no seeking of  political gains in investment and financing cooperation with Africa. China and  Africa will follow the principle of common, intensive, green, safe and open  development and deepen their friendly cooperation. Africa applauds these  principles and approaches, and stands ready to work with China to pass on  the traditional friendship from generation to generation.

6. The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for  all humanity and joint cooperation will lead to its containment. We applaud the  success of the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19  held in June 2020, which demonstrates the strong will of China and Africa to  combat the pandemic and overcome difficulties together. China appreciates the  solidarity and support from African countries and regional organizations such as  the AU for China’s fight against COVID-19. Africa commends China’s robust  support for its pandemic response, including starting ahead of schedule the  construction of the Africa CDC headquarters to help enhance Africa’s capacity  for disease prevention and control and sustainable development. To strengthen  cooperation in public health, China supports its pharmaceutical companies in  transferring technologies to African countries, and will work to advance  cooperation between paired-up Chinese and African hospitals and the construction  of China-Africa Friendship Hospitals, and the building of Africa CDC  headquarters. China will provide more medical assistance to support Africa in  strengthening prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable  diseases and building up public health capacity, with a view to building a  China-Africa community of health for all.

7. We reaffirm our full support to the World Health  Organization (WHO) for its leading and coordinating role in COVID-19 response  and the wider global health agenda. We firmly oppose any attempt to politicize,  label or stigmatize the virus, encourage and call for international  origins-tracing cooperation in a science-based, professional, impartial and  constructive manner on the basis of the Report of the China-WHO Joint Mission on  COVID-19. We hold the view that COVID-19 vaccines should be a global public  good. The international community must discard "vaccine nationalism", increase  vaccine supply to Africa, guarantee equitable distribution, and ensure vaccine  accessibility and affordability in Africa. We reaffirm our support to the  Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global  Access (COVAX). Africa appreciates China's vaccine donations and exports to  African countries in need, and applauds the important contributions of Chinese  vaccines to Africa's fight against the pandemic. Both sides support the waiver  of intellectual property rights of COVID-19 vaccines. We commend efforts by  Chinese companies in conducting joint vaccine production in some African  countries and welcome similar cooperation in more African countries.

8. Following the principle of extensive  consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and the philosophy of  open, green and clean cooperation, we will advance high-standard,  people-centered and sustainable Belt and Road cooperation between China and  Africa. China welcomes the fact that African countries have joined the big  family of Belt and Road cooperation. China supports Africa in accelerating  regional integration and connectivity, and works for a strong synergy between  the Belt and Road Initiative and Agenda 2063 of the AU, the 2030 Agenda for  Sustainable Development of the UN, as well as the development strategies of  African countries, in an effort to promote high-quality Belt and Road  cooperation between China and Africa.

9. We are pleased to note that over the past 21  years since its inception, FOCAC has developed stronger mechanisms and produced  remarkable results in practical cooperation between African countries and China.  We applaud the fruitful results in implementing the follow-up actions of the  outcomes of the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit, including the eight major initiatives  and the FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2019-2021). We will work together to further  strengthen FOCAC, into a well-established framework, and upgrade China-Africa  cooperation in key areas such as public health, investment, trade,  industrialization, infrastructure, agriculture and food security, climate  change, peace and security, human resources, digital and blue economy.

10. China commends Africa's new progress in seeking  strength through unity, takes note of the important achievements in the reform  of AU agencies, and stands ready to strengthen cooperation with the AU, its  agencies and African sub-regional organizations to work for more outcomes in  China-Africa transnational and trans-regional cooperation, and applaud the  opening of the African Union's representative office in China in 2018.

11. We agree to continue to give each other firm  support in upholding territorial integrity, sovereignty, security and  development interests. African members of FOCAC reaffirm their commitment to the  one-China principle, their support for China’s reunification and China’s efforts  in resolving territorial and maritime disputes peacefully through friendly  consultation and negotiation. Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet related issues are  China’s internal affairs, as observed in the international law and the  non-interference principle. China reaffirms its commitment, on the basis of the  one-China principle, to growing friendship and cooperation with all African  countries and sharing with them its development opportunities. We advocate  respect for the rights of people of all countries to independently choose the  path of human rights development in light of their national conditions, call for  the promotion and protection of human rights through constructive dialogues and  cooperation, and oppose politicization of and double standards on human rights  issues.

12. Africa warmly congratulates China on the  100th Anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC),  commends the remarkable achievements in national development made by the Chinese  people of all ethnic groups under the leadership of the CPC, and applauds  China’s great victory in completing the building of a moderately prosperous  society in all respects and eradicating extreme poverty in rural areas by 2020,  ten years before the UN SDGs . Noting that Africa collectively needs to reduce  poverty at twice the rate as China in order to meet the same SDGs, we will  strengthen exchanges between China and African countries to enhance experience  sharing on governance, poverty alleviation and development, with a view to  achieving common development.

13. We are committed to multilateralism and support  for the UN's undertakings. We have made important contributions to global peace  and development over the past 50 years since the restoration of China's lawful  seat at the UN. We reaffirm our commitment to observing the purposes and  principles of the UN Charter, firmly upholding the UN-centered international  system and the international order underpinned by international law, and  supporting the UN's central role in international affairs. We will vigorously  promote multilateralism and democracy in international relations, and stand for  equality between all countries irrespective of their size, strength or wealth.  We stand against all forms of racial discrimination, and ideological  confrontation.

14. We welcome the strides made 26 years after the  World Conference on Women held in Beijing and recognize that women and girls  play a vital role as agents of change and development. In line with the  priorities of United Nation's SDGs and “AU Strategy for Gender Equality and  Women’s Empowerment” (2018-2028), we agree to strengthen China-Africa  cooperation for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment on the respect  of different custom and culture especially in the areas of employment,  leadership, decent work, entrepreneurship, education and life-learning,  agriculture, health-care, prevention and response to gender based violence, and  access to finance. Noting new challenges posed by COVID-19 and the gender gaps  that remain, we pledge to strengthen our collective efforts and cooperation  towards achieving gender equality and women’s and girls' empowerment in China  and Africa for a full, effective and accelerated implementation of Beijing  Declaration and Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable  Development.

15. China firmly supports more African  representatives to lead international organizations and agencies, and supports  African countries' active participation in global governance and greater roles  in international affairs. China and Africa underscore the unique responsibility  conferred upon the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to maintain  international peace and security. We welcome the growing support for Africa and  call for necessary reforms of the UN including the Security Council to redress  the historic injustices done to African countries, including increasing the  representation of developing countries, in particular African countries, in the  UN and its Security Council. The African side recalls that its goal is to be  fully represented in the UN, particularly in the Security Council, as stated in  the unified african position.

16. We are committed to common, comprehensive,  cooperative and sustainable global security, support the settlement of African  issues with African solutions and the settlement of disputes and differences  through dialogue and consultation. China is ready to actively support Africa in  implementing the Silencing the Guns initiative, support relevant countries in  countering terrorist threats and combating piracy and illegal fishing and  trafficking. China supports the peace building efforts in Africa according to  the national priorities of the African countries and in consistency with the  principles of national ownership and national leadership of the peace building  processes as well as accelerate steps to provide military aid to the African  Standby Force and G5 Sahel Joint Force. In addition, China and Africa renew  their commitment to work together to support the post conflict reconstruction  and development efforts through the AUC-PCRD in Egypt. China and Africa call on  the UN to provide predictable and sustainable funding for Africa's independent  peacekeeping operations.

17. We share the view that as the biggest developing  country and the continent with the largest number of developing countries, China  and Africa both deserve the right to development and happy lives, and both are  facing the pressing task of accelerating development. We welcome the release of  the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 at the conference. China is  ready to take the fostering of a new development paradigm as an opportunity to  better synergize its development strategies with those of the AU and African  countries, and support Africa in accelerating the implementation of the AU  Agenda 2063, and achieving independent and sustainable development at an early  date.

18. African countries welcome and support the Global  Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China. We believe that global  partnership is imperative to accelerate implementation of Agenda 2063 of the AU  and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the UN, and commit to promote  stronger, greener and healthier global development and build a global community  of development with a shared future. We are pleased to note that China and some  African countries have adopted the Initiative on Partnership for Africa’s  Development. We believe that Africa is a major stage for international  cooperation rather than an arena for major-power competition. We call on more  countries and organizations, especially Africa’s traditional partners, to join  the Initiatives, so as to expedite Africa’s economic recovery in the  post-COVID-19 era.

19. China welcomes the start of trading of the  African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on 1 January 2021. China believes  that AfCFTA, a significant milestone in Africa's economic integration, has  injected strong impetus to the efforts to uphold multilateralism and free trade  and build an open world economy. We applaud the fruitful outcomes of  China-Africa trade and economic cooperation. Building on its new round of  high-level opening-up, China is ready to support the development of AfCFTA, and  actively conduct Silk Road e-commerce cooperation with Africa. China support  African countries in promoting their products in China through platforms such as  China International Import Expo, China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and China  International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair, so as to increase the export of  high-quality specialty products including agricultural and food products to  China.

20. China and Africa have played a positive and  constructive role in global economic governance and will continue to support the  WTO-centered and rules-based multilateral trading regime, uphold WTO's core  values and basic principles, actively take part in WTO reform, safeguard the  development rights, interests and policy space of developing countries, and  oppose the use of state power to suppress business cooperation.

21. China encourages Chinese enterprises to expand  investment in Africa, and supports Africa in localizing production, accelerating  economic transformation and increasing product competitiveness. Africa  appreciates China's publication of the Chinese Enterprises' Investment in  Africa, welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Africa,  and stands ready to actively share with Africa investment policies, market  opportunities and legal and regulatory information through mechanisms and  platforms including mixed bilateral economic and trade committees. We will scale  up investment cooperation and enhance industrial connectivity and production  capacity cooperation. We will consult with each other to sign and upgrade  bilateral agreements on investment protection and double taxation avoidance,  with a view to providing our enterprises with a fair, transparent and  nondiscriminatory business environment. We will also support enterprises in  conducting cooperation through such means as Public-Private Partnership (PPP)  and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT).

22. Africa appreciates China's active implementation  of the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative. China stands ready to work with  the international community, in line with the principle of joint actions and  fair burden-sharing, to increase support to African countries that are hardest  hit by COVID-19 and are under heavy financial stress, and help them overcome  current difficulties. We call on developed countries, multilateral financial  institutions, and commercial creditors to take stronger actions to help African  countries reduce debt burden, and support countries with surplus Special Drawing  Rights (SDRs) to channel a share of their SDRs to low-income African countries  in need, in order to help African countries realize independent and sustainable  development. We call on the IMF, the World Bank and other international  financial institutions to improve their approval procedures for financial  support to African countries, enhance work efficiency and lend more support to  government investment spending of African countries.

23. We urge developed countries to fulfill their  Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment to developing countries,  especially African countries, on time and in full, expand assistance, actively  provide financial, technological and capacity building support, and enhance  experience sharing, so as to help African countries reduce poverty, improve  livelihood, expand employment, and strengthen disaster mitigation and prevention  capability.

24. We welcome the release of the Declaration on  China-Africa Cooperation on Climate Change at this conference, and  recognize the important contributions made by developing countries to tackling  climate change. We reaffirm our support for and participation in efforts to  combat climate change in accordance with the targets and principles set forth by  the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and  its Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement. We call on all parties of the  international community to uphold such principles as "common but differentiated  responsibilities", and accommodate and take seriously the special difficulties  and concerns of developing countries. Developed countries should demonstrate  greater ambitions and take stronger actions to earnestly help developing  countries, African countries in particular, enhance their capability and  resilience to respond to climate change, and strengthen funding, technology,  capacity building and other support. China supports Africa in successfully  hosting the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in  Egypt. Africa applauds China's announcement to strive to peak carbon dioxide  emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, and speaks  positively of the 15th meeting of the Parties to the Convention on  Biological Diversity held in Kunming, China in October 2021.

25. We support efforts to vigorously develop the  green economy, advocate a green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable way of  development, and work actively to build an environment-friendly society. We  fully leverage the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center to advance  policy dialogue, exchanges and cooperation on environmental protection. We  welcome the positive role of the China-African Union Energy Partnership to  increase the share of clean energy and promote sustainable energy development of  both sides. We believe that the blue economy is of significant value to the  sustainable development of African countries, and call for special attention to  the vulnerability of small island developing countries under the impact of  climate change. We are committed to strengthening marine ecological conservation  and oppose irresponsible destructive actions. We are committed to enhancing the  protection of wild fauna and flora, and working together to crack down on  relevant illegal trade.

26. Recognising that the internet is a force for  good, an enabler of trade, creator of jobs and facilitator of development,  especially for women empowerment, we agree to strengthen cooperation on science  and technology and support Africa in accelerating the development of digital  economy, in particular to boost access to the high-speed internet and Africa’s  pan-African e-network as well as development of satellite and aerospace  technology in Africa. We agree to dedicate finance to and expand exchanges and  cooperation on digitalization and communication technology, especially remote  medical services, e-commerce, remote learning, 5G and future sensing and big  data, support Africa in building smart cities and enhance international  cooperation on the peaceful use of outer space. Africa takes due note of and  will further positively consider the Global Initiative on Data Security launched  by China. We stand ready to build on this Initiative to advance the formulation  of global digital governance rules, and call on the international community to  jointly build a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative and orderly cyberspace and a  community with a shared future in cyberspace.

27. China applauds the outcomes of the AU Year of  the Arts, Culture and Heritage 2021, commends the coming-into-effect of the  Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, and supports the AU and African  countries in implementing the Charter. We believe that people-to-people  exchanges are important to increasing understanding, friendship and cooperation  between Chinese and African peoples. Under the new circumstances, China and  Africa need to further expand exchanges and cooperation in areas namely  education, science and technology, sports, health, tourism, youth, women, media  and culture including combatting illicit trafficking of cultural property  through sharing information and repatriating cultural property that has been  illegally excavated, stolen or smuggled to the countries of origin. China and  Africa will foster cooperation between think tanks and local governments, so as  to enhance people-to-people connectivity and mutual learning between  civilizations, and foster a stronger social foundation for China-Africa  friendship. We call on the international community to respect cultural  diversity, rise above differences in ideology and social system, and oppose  attempts to intentionally provoke clashes between civilizations.

28. We are committed to promoting the sustained and  sound development of the Olympic Movement, and oppose the politicization of  sports. Africa supports China in hosting the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter  Games, and wishes the Games a great success.

29. We pledge to work toward building an even  stronger China-Africa community with a shared future in the post-COVID era,  build on past achievements, work together closely, and maintain high-level  development of China-Africa relations. We will jointly build a "Healthy  Africa","Industrialized Africa", "Interconnected Africa", "Bumper Harvest  Africa", "Digital Africa", "Green Africa", "Safe Africa" and "Inventing and  Innovative Africa". We will strengthen coordination in international affairs to  bring benefits to the two peoples, jointly work for a fairer and more equitable  international order, and continue to enrich the China-Africa comprehensive  strategic and cooperative partnership.

30. We express gratitude to H.E.Mr. WANG Yi, State  Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs and H.E.Mr.WANG Wentao, Minister of  Commerce of the People's Republic of China and H.E.Ms. Aissata Tall SALL,  Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad and H.E.Mr. Amadou HOTT,  Minister of Economy, Planning and International Cooperation of the Republic of  Senegal for co-chairing the Eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference.

31. We express gratitude to the government and  people of the Republic of Senegal for the warm hospitality and excellent  facilitation during the conference.

32. The Ninth FOCAC Ministerial Conference will be  held in the People's Republic of China in 2024.



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