Hong Ting Forum held in Kenya to advance China-Africa modernization drive

NAIROBI, 3 April 2025  (Xinhua) -- The 2025 edition of the Hong Ting Forum took place on Wednesday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, bringing together senior government officials, diplomats, scholars, industry executives and media practitioners to explore ways to advance China-Africa cooperation on modernization.

Hosted by Xinhua News Agency Africa Regional Bureau, the forum was held under the theme "China-Africa Dialogue on the Path to Modernization."

Korir Sing'Oei, principal secretary in Kenya's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, said the forum reaffirmed the importance of fostering Sino-African dialogue to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

According to Sing'Oei, the China-Africa partnership is both desirable and beneficial, as it responds to the aspirations of both sides in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.

Kenya fully supports China's Belt and Road Initiative, as well as its Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, which rally like-minded nations to address the evolving needs of humanity, he said.

"As Kenya advances modernization efforts, the government looks forward to learning from China's best practices. I believe other African countries will also be eager to do the same," Sing'Oei said.

Guo Haiyan, the Chinese ambassador to Kenya, said that both China and its African partners share aspirations to modernize their economies and achieve common prosperity, peace and stability.

The joint modernization of China and Africa has taken on new urgency, with their leaders agreeing on the need to accelerate renewal efforts that foster inclusivity, peace, security and harmony between humanity and nature, Guo said.

She also called for a stronger Sino-African partnership and greater consensus on safeguarding the interests of the Global South.

Peter Kagwanja, the chief executive officer of the Africa Policy Institute, a Nairobi-based Pan-African think tank, said that given their shared history and destiny, Africa and China should engage in mutual dialogue, exchange knowledge and share best practices to advance their modernization trajectories.

According to Kagwanja, the modernization drive of China and African countries should be homegrown and grounded in mutual respect to ensure a lasting impact on societies striving for sustained growth, inclusivity and stability.

"China and Africa have chosen the path of independent modernization and peaceful development, built on dialogue, as envisioned in the Global Civilization Initiative," Kagwanja said, noting that dialogue between China and Africa dates back to the Silk Road era, when ancient civilizations converged to exchange goods, services and ideas on culture, economics and governance.

Mustafa Ali, the co-founder and chairman of the Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies, a Nairobi-based think tank, said that China is already a trailblazer in modernization and can leverage its soft power to strengthen multilateralism amid rising geopolitical tensions.