People centered governance China and Africa Nations

By Kirtan Bhana

20 August 2024
Empowered people are at the heart and soul of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) phenomenal growth and development and they continue to be the force that guides and drives the modernization and high quality progress of the nation in the new era. The leadership of the Communist Party of China has been exemplary by remaining true to its socialist roots and values that recognize and acknowledge the potential of its human resource as its most precious commodity.

Ambassador WU Peng of China to South Africa has kept the momentum of the relations between China and South Africa at pace and steadily growing since he took up his position in Pretoria when he arrived in June.  At the recent launch of the book “Xi Jinping and the Flourishing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in the New Era” by renowned China expert Prof Paul Zilungisele Tembe and co-author Jeffrey Mathethe Sehume , Ambassador Wu said, “President Xi Jinping has visited the African continent ten times. He put forward new concepts for China to develop relations with Africa, such as China-Africa community with a shared future, the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests, and the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith. These concepts point out the way forward and provide a fundamental guideline for China-Africa cooperation in the new era. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is the most important symbol of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation. For the past 24 years since its formation, FOCAC has become an exemplar for international cooperation with Africa and a model for South-South cooperation.”

 

Prof Tembe is a polyglot, proficient in several languages including Mandarin, Swedish and Xitsonga. He has done research and teaching stints at several institutes of higher learning and has written extensively including several books that share his findings and insights. He said, “FOCAC was 13 years old when President Xi rose to the rank of Secretary General of the CPC and Commander of the Central Military Commission (CMC).” 

Tembe describes the FOCAC Configuration and its Nature as Multimodal, Multi-nodal and Multipronged exploring what the forum has grown into in 24 years, the value of Symbolic Capital and Symbolic Investment, stating that the 9th Summit can be a locus to Galvanize African agency as it relates to the third plenum of the CPC Central Committee.

The disastrous colonial polices in Africa are being exposed as post-colonial independence, which is rooted in the flawed outcome of the Berlin Conference and the prolonged oppressive strategy of divide and conquer, persists. This nefarious policy not only creates division and conflicts between countries, but also plays out in civil conflicts and contestations under the guise of democracy and politics. This has left the African nations open to insidious exploitation by corporations and governments.

China’s whole process democracy, of which the third plenum is a key input, is a wide consultative mechanism and consensus process governed by the CPC which has over 100 million members with President Xi at its core. Discipline, loyalty and respect are values that are inherent traits instilled in the people of China from the time of the majestic, advanced dynasties of China, which over the millennia, have been known for their mastery over the sciences and technological innovations and the expression of profound, yet relatable philosophies of life.

Africa’s own ancient civilizations bear similar resemblances to those of China, being governed by kingdoms and monarchs whose knowledge straddled the physical and spiritual worlds. They left behind evidence of the abilities and capabilities that cannot, to this day, be fully explained. The gap in continuity of African civilizations, for various reasons, contrasts to that of China and the connection to its ancient civilizations, the continuity of which imbues a sense of belonging and kinship.
     
 A snap survey carried out by the Diplomatic Society to gauge the outcomes of FOCAC before the Summit, presents a general feeling that there is an awareness of the Forum and the successes it has generated in logistics, infrastructure and connectivity. Several examples were referred to, however, it was pointed out that these were bilateral projects with a few countries. The survey indicated that projects should have a continent-wide footprint, beginning with cooperation with established regional blocs and the programs of the African Union (AU) including Agenda 2063 and the Free Trade Agreement. The recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit held in Harare, Zimbabwe will make inputs for discussions at the upcoming forum in Beijing. The Zimbabwean government has also begun deep reforms in recognition of the value of its citizens by launching a raft of e-governance services. The launch of a gold backed Zimbabwean currency called the ZiG is a bold move to shift away from the current hegemonic and deeply flawed US dollar monetary and financial system.

No corporation or enterprise should be allowed to supersede the power of the consumer. Trust is the virtue of high quality progress, it cultivates an acceptance and adherence to law and regulation and inculcates a responsibility and accountability and promotes respect for inclusivity. Discipline, dedication and commitment are true reflections on governance that provides an enabling environment to explore, experiment and thrive. The benefit of an individual should be viewed in relation to the contribution of the collective. Providing protection and recourse to intervene and establish fairness and carry out justice are characteristics essential for freedom.      

As early as the ancient Silk Road the Chinese understood the value of trade and commerce and that opening up pathways for interaction and engagement was an opportunity to find new markets and through exchanging skills and knowledge grow economies of scale. They realise that people are the market, they are central to innovations, to engineering and constructing infrastructure; they are the beginning and end user of products and services; they are the ones that are paramount to harmony and stability; and they are part and parcel of the natural environment and the infinite cosmos as they discover the myriad sources of its unending energy and the beauty of imagination and dreams.

FOCAC has certainly reached a precipice and should be encouraged to take the quantum leap into modernisation and include Chinese characteristics and Ubuntu ideology.