China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035

As the largest developing country and the continent with the most developing countries in the world, China and Africa hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win results, and unswervingly deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership to realize the high-quality development of China-Africa practical cooperation. Considering the development history, background and characteristics of both sides, Vision 2035 of China, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2063 Agenda of the African Union as well as the national development strategies of African countries, China and Africa jointly formulated this China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 to determine the directions and objectives of mid- and long-term cooperation and promote a closer community with a shared future for China and Africa. The Vision includes:

1. Jointly embarking on a new journey of comprehensive cooperation for common development of China and Africa

1.1 China as an important partner of African development agenda. China supports the implementation of the 2063 Agenda of the African Union and its flagship projects. China also actively participates in the implementation of continent-wide plans such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the Africa Mining Vision (AMV), the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA), the Action Plan for Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT), the Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa (AIDA) and African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).

1.2 Closer Belt and Road partnership between China and Africa. Following the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits and the philosophy of green, open and clean cooperation, 2 China and Africa will ensure synergies between BRI and the African development agenda and leverage the leading role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to consolidate traditional cooperation, explore emerging areas of cooperation, and transform and upgrade cooperation faster towards greater quality and efficiency so that the cooperation outcomes could widely benefit the peoples of China and Africa.

1.3 Enriching and improving the top-level design, mechanisms and measures of China-Africa cooperation. China and Africa will establish closer bilateral and multilateral exchanges at all levels through deepening traditional friendship, enhancing political mutual trust and better coordinating policies in areas such as trade and investment, industrial development, digital economy, green and low-carbon development, people’s well-being and health, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, peace and security and international affairs.

2. Jointly taking practical cooperation to a new height for the common interests of China and Africa

2.1 Balanced growth of bilateral trade. China-Africa annual trade is expected to reach USD300 billion in 2035. China supports Africa in increasing export capacity, strengthens cooperation with African countries in inspection and quarantine of agricultural produce and food, accelerates quarantine process, and will import more non-resource African products.

2.2 Continued expansion of two-way investment. China will invest another USD60 billion in Africa by 2035, especially in support of African agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, environmental protection, digital economy, blue economy, etc. China supports the upgrade of its competent trade and economic cooperation zones in Africa to China-Africa demonstration zones of industrial and supply chain cooperation. China supports Africa’s efforts to keep improving the business environment and will further localize Chinese enterprises in Africa. China and Africa will take measures together to facilitate and support the business operation of 3 wholly African-owned enterprises or African joint ventures in China.

2.3 Advancing integrated cooperation. China actively participates in the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). China-Africa infrastructure cooperation is upgraded as China supports the development of African railway, highway, shipping, port, airline and communications network based on multiple cooperation models. The two sides establish diversified arrangements for trade and investment facilitation to elevate China-Africa cooperation on trade and investment facilitation to a new level.

2.4 More sustainable finance cooperation. China will continue to offer aid to Africa to the best of its capability and maximize the overall efficiency of assistance. China mobilizes all types of resources for financing cooperation with Africa to support the development of African SMEs. China also reinforces cooperation with multilateral financial institutions, such as the African Development Bank, the African Export-Import Bank, Development Bank of the Central African States, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank and West African Development Bank in an effort to become a major partner of Africa for sustainable financing. China and Africa will enhance finance and local currency cooperation and establish more financial branches and subsidiaries in each other’s countries.

3. Jointly promoting a new development paradigm featuring transformation and growth to advance industries in China and Africa

3.1 Extending agricultural cooperation to include the whole industry chain. China supports Africa in developing modern agriculture by forming a complete system of breeding, planting, processing, storage and logistics, and developing featured industries of livestock breeding and cash crop, so as to enhance food security capabilities of African countries, and improve safety and value added of African agricultural produce and food.

3.2 Expanding production capacity cooperation. China will help Africa develop “Made in Africa” brands and integrate into global industrial and supply chains by assisting Africa to develop its manufacturing sector. China supports Africa in building and improving technical standard system for quality infrastructure. China will share experience with Africa to help Africa upgrade and enhance the competitiveness of its manufacturing sector, invigorate the private sector and create more jobs in the private sector.

3.3 New growth drivers offered by cooperation in science and technological innovation. China and Africa will conduct extensive cooperation in science and technological innovation, and jointly promote research on high-level cooperation, technology transfer and application as well as cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship, in a bid to improve science and innovation capabilities and sustainable economic and social development in Africa.

3.4 New growth areas offered by cooperation on the blue economy. China and Africa conduct extensive cooperation to add value to and sustainably utilize marine resources. China supports Africa in developing and utilizing marine resources in a reasonable manner while preserving the marine ecosystem, developing near-shore economy, setting up marine special economic zones or parks for blue economy to foster marine industrial clusters and regional growth poles.

3.5 African transformation sped up by digital cooperation. China and Africa expand cooperation in areas such as spectrum management, 5G technology, satellite internet, big data, e-commerce, smart city, aeronautics and astronautics and application of satellite remote sensing. China supports Africa in building new types of infrastructure and developing the digital economy to bridge the digital divide.

4. Jointly developing a new green growth model for common eco-development of China and Africa

4.1 Comprehensively advancing climate cooperation. China and Africa work closely on joint climate response, strengthened cooperation in meteorological monitoring, disaster prevention and mitigation, water resources utilization, prevention and control of desertification, land degradation and drought, among others. China supports Africa’s efforts to protect eco-environment and biodiversity, build the “Great Green Wall” and enhance climate resilience.

4.2 Transforming to clean and low-carbon energy cooperation. China supports Africa in increasing the proportion of hydro power, nuclear and other clean energies, actively developing solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, tidal and wave power and other renewable energies based on the level of development and energy needs of countries, providing stable and affordable power supply with distributed power supply technologies for remote African areas, and supporting the development of the photo-voltaic industry.

4.3 Improving development quality with green cooperation. China supports Africa in developing green and circular economy and green finance, promoting sustainable management of natural resources, enhancing the efficiency of energy utilization and the use of renewable energy, improving green, low-carbon and circular development capabilities and establishing an economic system featuring green, low-carbon and circular development.

5. Jointly improving people’s well-being featuring happiness for all in China and Africa

5.1 Consolidating and deepening health cooperation. China supports African health policies and helps it strengthen the prevention and control system of communicable diseases, improve medical research, vigorously develop traditional medicine, and improve medicine accessibility and affordability. It also supports Africa in reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable 6 diseases.

5.2 Notable achievements in poverty reduction cooperation. China and Africa continue to share experience in job creation and poverty reduction in various ways. China supports Africa in enhancing poverty reduction capacity, improving education, water and power supply and other public utilities, advancing urbanization and achieving inclusive growth. With solid progress, the humanitarian exchange serves as a humanitarian bridge between China and Africa.

5.3 Human resources cooperation at a new height. China supports Africa in developing education, enhancing the education level for all Africans, women, children and youth in particular, and cultivating young leaders and high-calibre technical talents in all areas. China becomes a major host of African students.

6. Jointly creating a new chapter in people-to-people exchanges for common cultural prosperity in China and Africa

6.1 More vibrant cultural and sports exchanges. China and Africa will jointly establish a long-term mechanism for equal and mutual learning and common prosperity of Chinese and African civilizations, and support the exchange of visits by art missions, cooperation on film, television programs and culture, and cultivation of language talents. China and Africa jointly promote the development of international Sinology and African studies, enhance the international visibility and influence of Chinese and African cultures, and encourage world cultural diversity. China and Africa strengthen practical cooperation in sports and support the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games to promote sports in Africa.

6.2 More in-depth media exchange. China and Africa strengthen cooperation in news coverage, creation of audiovisual contents, training of media professionals, and media technologies, help African media build information production and dissemination capacity and facilitate “Smart Africa” and integrated media development. China and Africa enhance 7 exchanges and cooperation on publishing, and share the stories of cooperation and friendship between China and Africa with books as the media.

6.3 More flourishing tourism cooperation. China-Africa cooperation promotes tourism development. China helps Africa with tourism capacity building and the development of green tourism and relevant services, supports African countries as major outbound tourism destinations for Chinese group tours, facilitates the revitalization of African tourism.

7. Jointly exploring a new path towards peace and safety for common security in China and Africa

7.1 Building a more peaceful Africa. Upholding the common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concepts, China and Africa continue to pursue peace through cooperation and resolve differences through consultations. China supports African countries in seeking African solutions for African problems. China and Africa jointly promote the timely accomplishment of “silencing guns in Africa”. 

7.2 Building a safer Africa. The cooperation on peace and security has become a new highlight for China-Africa relations. China and Africa have conducted closer exchanges and cooperation in joint exercises and training, peacekeeping and stabilization, fight against terrorism, counter-narcotics, counter-piracy and other areas, while Internet security and the management and control of small arms have become new directions for cooperation.

7.3 Building a more stable Africa. China and Africa advance governance experience sharing and enhance the alignment of development thinking and concepts. China supports African countries in independently exploring a development path tailored to their own national conditions, enhancing governance capacity building, building an open and inclusive society of common prosperity and achieving long lasting peace and 8 stability for the country. 

8. Jointly setting new exemplars of international exchanges for open and win-win cooperation between China and Africa

8.1 Continued progress for global governance and cooperation. China and Africa will become major forces for improving global governance and safeguarding international equity and justice, enhance communication and coordination in such arenas as the UN Security Council, and jointly raise the attention of the international community to Africa and support Africa in playing a more active role in global governance and participating more in the management of international affairs.

8.2 International models safeguarding the multilateral system and South-South cooperation. China and Africa support economic globalization and an equitable, open and inclusive multilateral trading system, firmly opposing unilateralism and protectionism and safeguarding the common interests of developing countries. The cooperation between China and Africa is an exemplar of South-South cooperation and an important contribution to a community of shared future for mankind.

8.3 Extensive tripartite cooperation. With full respect for the wishes of African countries, China works with countries around the world and international organizations to conduct extensive tripartite cooperation with Africa and create more effective synergy for the development of Africa through the Initiative on Partnership for Africa’s Development.