As Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi recently exchanged congratulatory messages to mark the 70th anniversary of China-Egypt ties, the milestone serves as a reflection of a much broader journey: seven decades of enduring relations between China and the African continent.
President Xi noted that China-Egypt relations have become a model of amity, solidarity, and cooperation among developing countries, setting a benchmark for cooperation between China, Arab states, and African nations. Today, the relationship between China and Africa has evolved from a friendship forged in shared struggles into a dynamic partnership dedicated to development, modernization, and the rise of the Global South.
From Solidarity to Strategic Partnership
The foundations of this friendship were laid during a period of profound global political change. From the 1950s to the 1970s, China firmly supported African nations in their quests for national independence and liberation. In a reciprocal gesture of trust, African countries played a decisive role in restoring the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China at the United Nations in 1971; of the 76 votes cast in favor, 26 came from African nations.
This commitment remains steadfast. Earlier this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Africa, continuing a 36-year tradition of making the continent the first destination of China's foreign minister's overseas trips each year.
The institutionalization of this bond accelerated with the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000. By 2015, the relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, launching the "Ten Cooperation Plans" to drive modernization across the continent. At the 2024 FOCAC summit, the ties were further upgraded to an "all-weather community with a shared future for the new era." A significant practical outcome of this vision was China's decision to expand duty-free access to all 53 African countries with diplomatic ties by 2025, making it the first major economy to grant unilateral zero-tariff treatment across all product categories to every such nation.
Humphrey Moshi, a prominent Tanzanian economist, describes this cooperation as a landmark example of Global South solidarity, helping developing countries transition from passive participants to active shapers of international rules.
Advancing Modernization Through Practical Cooperation
While political trust provides the foundation, economic cooperation has become the engine of growth for the partnership. Data from China's General Administration of Customs reveals that China-Africa trade reached a record $348 billion in 2025, a 17.7% increase from the previous year. This momentum has surged into 2026; in the first quarter alone, trade totaled 646.56 billion yuan ($92.2 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of 23.7%.
Infrastructure has been a cornerstone of this progress. Through the Belt and Road Initiative, connectivity has been reshaped by flagship projects such as the Tazara Railway and the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, which serve as models for high-quality cooperation.
Beyond infrastructure, China has focused on sustainable financial support and human capital. As of 2023, China had signed debt-relief agreements or reached understandings with 19 African countries, positioning itself as the largest contributor to debt-service suspension efforts under the G20 framework.
Educational exchange has also flourished. By June 2025, China established 17 Luban Workshops across 15 African countries to provide vocational training. Additionally, the China-Africa university cooperation plan has connected 114 higher education institutions, training tens of thousands of African professionals.
Paul Frimpong, executive director and senior research fellow of the Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory, emphasizes that the sharing of knowledge and skills in sectors like manufacturing and green energy is having a profound impact on Africa's journey toward self-reliance and modernization.
Reference(s):
China-Africa ties at 70: Path to a shared dream of modernization
cgtn.com
