1.1 We, the Heads of State, Government and Delegations of the People's Republic
of China and 53 African countries, and the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (AUC), gathered in China on the 3rd and 4th of September for the
2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Under the
theme "China and Africa: Toward an Even Stronger Community with a Shared
Future through Win-Win Cooperation" and committed to the development of
FOCAC and to deepening China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative
partnership, we adopted by consensus the Beijing Declaration-Toward an Even
Stronger China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.
1.2 We extend warm congratulations to the Republic of the Gambia, the
Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, and Burkina Faso on becoming new
members of FOCAC following the Johannesburg Summit.
2. In a world of major development, transformation and adjustments, peace
and development remain our common aspirations. Growing interconnection and
inter-dependence among countries has made collaboration the only viable way to
effectively address terrorism, conflicts, wealth gaps, poverty, climate change,
land degradation, food insecurity, major communicable diseases, protectionism
and other global challenges.
3.1 Recalling and fully endorsing the vision of "a community with a
shared future for mankind" and "China-Africa community with a shared
future", which has been articulated by leaders of China and Africa on both
bilateral and multilateral occasions in recent years, we call on all countries
to work in concert toward a community with a shared future for mankind, an
open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace,
universal security, and common prosperity, and a new type of international
relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation,
with a view to upholding and advancing world peace and development.
3.2 We believe that China and Africa are a community with a shared future.
China is the largest developing country. Africa is the continent with the most
developing countries. Sharing weal and woe, the Chinese and African peoples
have forged a deep friendship rooted in our similar historical experiences,
development tasks and political aspirations. We agree to strengthen collective
dialogue, enhance traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation, and
work together toward an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared
future.
4.1 We applaud that, under the Belt and Road Initiative, the principle of
extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits is observed;
market principles and international norms are followed; openness, transparency,
and win-win results are advocated and practiced; efforts are made to develop
inclusive, accessible and reasonably priced infrastructure that delivers
extensive benefits and are consistent with the national conditions and laws and
regulations of related countries, with a view to promoting high-quality and
sustainable development for all. The Belt and Road development responds to the
call of the times and brings benefits to all peoples.
4.2 Africa, being part of the historical and natural extension of the Belt
and Road, has been an important participant in this initiative. The cooperation
between China and Africa under the Belt and Road Initiative will generate more
resources and means, expand the market and space for African development, and
broaden its development prospects. We agree to form a strong synergy between
the Belt and Road Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of
the United Nations, Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU), as well as the
development strategies of African countries. The closer connectivity in policy,
infrastructure, trade, finance and people-to-people ties, strengthened
industrial capacity cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and greater
cooperation in the planning of African infrastructure and industrial
development will lend new impetus to the win-win cooperation and common
development between China and Africa.
4.3 African countries support China in hosting the second Belt and Road
Forum for International Cooperation in 2019. China welcomes African countries'
active participation in the Forum.
5.1 We applaud the role FOCAC has played over the past 18 years to promote
China-Africa relations. The follow-up actions and the implementation of the
outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit, including the "ten cooperation
plans" and the FOCAC Johannesburg Action Plan (2016-2018), have produced
fruitful results.
5.2 We recognize that the FOCAC mechanism is increasingly efficient and
has become a leading player in international cooperation with Africa. We agree
to uphold the existing mechanism and preserve its uniqueness and strengths to
further advance China-Africa relations and cooperation in the new era. We also
agree to make the Forum a major platform for China-Africa cooperation under the
Belt and Road Initiative.
6. China will continue to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with
African countries in keeping with the principle of upholding justice while
pursuing shared interests and the principle of sincerity, real results,
affinity and good faith, as proposed by H.E. President Xi Jinping. We are
committed to working together to leverage our respective strengths,
accommodating each other's concerns, and developing and enriching the China-Africa
comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to the benefit of the
Chinese and African peoples.
7.1 China commends the African integration process, and pledges its
continued support for Africa's efforts in seeking strength through unity, accelerating
integration, upholding peace and stability, and achieving even faster economic
growth. China takes note of the encouraging progress achieved in these areas at
the AU Summits in recent years.
7.2 We welcome China's stronger cooperation with the AU, its agencies and
African regional economic organizations, and support the AUC in playing a
constructive role in promoting China-Africa transnational and trans-regional
cooperation. China welcomes a representational office of the AU in Beijing, and
supports AU reform to enhance its capacity building and efficiency.
8. 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, and
their support for China's reunification and China's efforts in resolving
territorial and maritime disputes peacefully through friendly consultation and
negotiation. 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. China reiterates its firm
commitment to the principle of non-interference in others' internal affairs and
supports African countries in independently exploring development paths suited
to their national conditions.
9. China pledges to work with African countries to synergize development
strategies and increase experience-sharing on governance, poverty reduction and
development, particularly on rural socio-economic development, gender equality
and women and youth empowerment. China supports African countries in working
for development and rejuvenation and acting on Agenda 2063 and its first
ten-year implementation plan, with a view to achieving independent and
sustainable development.
10. We applaud the remarkable progress and positive results achieved by
China and Africa in anti-corruption cooperation. We will continue to bear zero
tolerance toward corruption and strengthen the institutions and mechanisms for
anti-corruption cooperation. We welcome the launching of the African
Anti-Corruption Year, and will take it as an opportunity to further enhance
South-South cooperation and experience-sharing in a joint effort to fight corruption
and promote integrity.
11. We commend the principle of common, intensive, green, safe and open
development agreed by both sides to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation
under the new circumstances, and applaud the fruitful China-Africa economic and
trade cooperation, particularly the remarkable results of cooperation in such
areas as trade, investment, financing and infrastructure. We believe that
economic and trade cooperation remains the anchor and the propeller for
China-Africa relations. China will continue to, in keeping with the principle
of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, help enhance Africa's production
capacity in the secondary and tertiary industries, and promote the
transformation and upgrading of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation
focusing on improving Africa's internally driven growth that reduces reliance
on export of raw materials. China will, as always, offer assistance and support
to Africa's development with no political strings attached. Africa reaffirms
its commitment to sustainable, diversified and coordinated socio-economic
development to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes.
12. We call on the international community to join efforts in promoting
trade and investment for development and making economic globalization more
open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all. Faced with the current severe
situation, we firmly uphold multilateralism and oppose all forms of
unilateralism and protectionism, support a WTO-centered, rules-based
multilateral trading regime that is transparent, non-discriminatory, open and
inclusive, and support the efforts for an open and inclusive world economy. We
will work for the normal operation of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and
continue to implement the outcomes of previous ministerial meetings. We resolve
to enhance cooperation within such mechanisms as the G77+China, and take
concrete actions to uphold the multilateral trading regime and support
development across the world.
13.1 The African leaders welcome the major measures for further opening-up
announced by H.E. President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the Boao
Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018, and commend the concrete and targeted
efforts made by China in such areas as capacity building. They believe that
such measures and efforts will benefit African countries and beyond, and that
China's development has brought important opportunities and impetus to an open
world economy. The African leaders welcome the first China International Import
Expo to be held in Shanghai in November, 2018 and would like to take an active
part in it.
13.2 China commends the important outcomes of the African Union
Extraordinary Summit, held in Kigali, Rwanda in March 2018, on the African
Continental Free Trade Area, and welcomes the launching of the Single African
Air Transport Market and the decisions supporting the free movement of people
and goods. China supports early progress in developing African Continental Free
Trade Area and the Single African Air Transport Market. China will strengthen
cooperation with Africa in trade and investment facilitation, and step up
related policy communication, information sharing and capacity building. China
supports African countries in enhancing connectivity, infrastructure
development and industrialization. China encourages companies from both sides
to explore more ways of mutually beneficial cooperation based on the law of the
market.
13.3 Africa appreciates the support that China has rendered to its railway
development, particularly the related goals set forth by the AU Agenda 2063,
and welcomes China as a strategic partner in its railway development. Africa
welcomes more investment from China in its tourism industry and looks to
further expand China-Africa aviation cooperation.
14. We welcome the G20 Initiative on Supporting Industrialization in
Africa and Least Developed Countries and urge developed countries to honor
their official development assistance commitments to developing countries,
especially those in Africa, on time and in full, and to provide more support in
terms of funding, technology and capacity building for the full implementation
of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
15. We call on all countries to respect the diversity of civilizations and
stress that people-to-people and cultural exchanges are of great significance
for increasing mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation between the
Chinese and African peoples. We encourage further exchanges, mutual learning,
and cooperation in culture, education, science, technology, sports, health,
tourism, media and at sub-national levels, to further consolidate the public
support for China-Africa relations.
16.1 We underscore the importance of advocating common, comprehensive,
cooperative and sustainable security. We commit ourselves to addressing
disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation, making coordinated
efforts to deal with both traditional and non-traditional security threats and
opposing terrorism in whatever form, for whatever cause, and wherever it occurs.
16.2 China firmly supports African countries and regional organizations
such as the AU in their efforts to independently resolve African problems in
the African way. China supports the building of the African Standby Force and
the African Capacity for the Immediate Response to Crisis, and other active
measures by regional countries in countering terrorist threats. China supports
predictable and sustainable UN funding for Africa's independent peace
operations and the initiative to "Silence the Guns in Africa by Year
2020". In light of the need of Africa, China will continue to play a
constructive role in providing good offices and mediation of African hotspot
issues. We welcome closer communication and coordination between China and
Africa in the UN Security Council. We will enhance coordination and cooperation
on affairs related to African peace and security to uphold our common interests
through the meetings and consultations between China and Africa's non-permanent
members of the Security Council. We welcome closer cooperation between China
and the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) through meetings and
consultations, as it serves our common interests.
16.3 We note the serious challenges of displacement and migration in
Africa, and the efforts by the African Union, sub-regional organizations and
African countries in addressing the issues within the framework of Agenda 2063
and through other related channels. China and Africa will discuss ways to
strengthen cooperation in such areas as humanitarian response, early warning,
climate change, drought and desertification and disaster management and
response.
17. We emphasize the importance of upholding the purposes and principles
of the UN Charter and supporting the active role of the UN in international
affairs. We advocate mutual respect and equal consultation, firmly reject
Cold-War mentality and power politics, and embrace the new approach to
state-to-state relations that favors dialogue over confrontation, partnership
over alliance. We follow the principle of achieving shared benefits through
consultation and collaboration in global governance, advocate multilateralism
and democracy in international relations, and believe that all countries are
equal, irrespective of their size, strength or wealth. We oppose interference
in others' internal affairs and arbitrary use or threat of force in
international affairs, and reaffirm the need to deepen mutual understanding and
enhance coordination and collaboration with each other at the UN and other
fora.
18. We call for necessary reforms of the UN including its Security Council
to better fulfill their responsibilities prescribed in the UN Charter and
enhance the UN's capacity to deal with global threats and challenges and
strengthen global governance. We emphasize that the historical injustice
endured by African countries should be corrected, that priority should be given
to increasing the representation of African countries at the UN Security
Council and other agencies, and that concerted efforts should be made to steer
the reform of the international governance system toward better serving the
common interests of developing countries. China will enhance communication and
coordination with Africa's non-permanent members of the Security Council to
jointly uphold the common interests of the two sides and developing countries
as a whole. We also call for reforms of international financial institutions
including the Bretton Woods institutions.
19.1 We call for the conclusion of the work program under the Paris Agreement
by the 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and reaffirm our
unwavering commitment to jointly tackling climate change in accordance with the
Marrakech Action Proclamation for Our Climate and Sustainable Development
adopted at COP22 of the UNFCCC. We are determined to take environment-friendly
approaches, work together to respond to climate change, protect marine
biodiversity, strengthen marine research, develop blue economy, and foster a
global ecosystem for green development to protect our common home for human
survival and create an environment conducive to the development of small island
countries. We call on developed countries to honor their commitments at an early
date and to support African countries with funding, technology transfer and
capacity building to deal with climate change and protect the environment.
19.2 China speaks highly of Africa's efforts in protecting wildlife, takes
note of the challenges confronting Africa, and will work with Africa to fight
illegal trade in wildlife and provide necessary support in this field.
20. We congratulate South Africa on successfully hosting the 10th BRICS
Summit and the BRICS Outreach which is comprised of the BRICS Plus Initiative
and the BRICS Leaders-Africa Outreach Dialogue Forum. The Leaders applaud the
outcome documents and measures adopted at the BRICS Summit as being fruitful
and laying a solid foundation for the second "Golden Decade" of BRICS
Cooperation. The Summit will strengthen collaboration among countries concerned
and help them benefit from the fourth industrial revolution.
21. We commend the Ministers participating in the seventh FOCAC
Ministerial Conference for their dedicated efforts and outstanding work in
formulating theBeijing Action Plan (2019-2021) of the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation in the spirit of this Declaration. With the Action Plan adopted,
both sides will now work closely for its timely and full implementation.
22.1 We express gratitude to H.E. President Xi Jinping of the People's
Republic of China and H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South
Africa for co-chairing the 2018 Beijing Summit of FOCAC.
22.2 We express gratitude to South Africa for the contribution it has made
to FOCAC's development and China-Africa relations during its co-chairmanship
from 2012 to 2018.
23. We express gratitude to the government and people of the People's
Republic of China for the warm hospitality and excellent facilitation during
the 2018 Beijing Summit of FOCAC.
24.
We welcome the Republic of Senegal as the next co-chair of FOCAC. The Eighth
FOCAC Ministerial Conference will be held in the Republic of Senegal in 2021.