BEIJING, April 10th (ABP) – The leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the unity of the Chinese people could provide a useful reference for African countries to stimulate their own development, suggested Gao Xiang, president of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Chinese Academy of History (CAH), on Tuesday April 9, 2024, in Beijing, in his speech to open the third conference on dialogue between Chinese and African civilizations, which was held under the theme ” Inheritance, sharing, development: Toward a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future “.
To that end, that higher education person in authority quoted President Xi Jinping who, in the letter he sent on April 9, 2019 to congratulate inauguration of China-Africa Institute (CAI), pointed out that China and Africa’s endeavor to deepen traditional friendship, boost exchanges and cooperation, and enhance mutual learning among civilizations will not only benefit the Chinese and African peoples, but will also contribute more greatly to world peace and development. President Xi Jinping added in the letter that the establishment of the China-Africa Institute is a concrete step to increase people-to-people exchanges, an important part of the decision.
Gao Xiang made it known that as a national think tank aimed at promoting mutual learning between Chinese and African civilizations, CAI has, in the five years since its establishment, always been guided by the valuable content of President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter, and has made a series of innovative achievements in economic research, external exchanges and talent cultivation based on the academic platform and human resources of CASS. He added that the conference on dialogue between Chinese and African civilizations is a platform of the exchanges between China and Africa set up by CAI.
” In the face of historical changes and questions of the times, the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) put forward by President Xi Jinping in March 2023 provides Chinese wisdom and solutions to global challenges, and highlights China’s responsibility as an important force for peace and stability “, stressed the Chairperson of CASS, adding that this initiative is rooted in the long history of Chinese civilization and advocates equality, mutual learning, dialogue and tolerance among different civilizations.
According to him, it is necessary to conduct extensive dialogue and research on China-Africa mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation in new era, explore new opportunities, and strengthen cooperation areas such as exchange of experiences, governance, agricultural modernization, industrialization, economic diversification, and cultivation of new productive forces.
As the theme of that conference on the dialogue between Chinese and African civilizations underscores the issues that are at the center of sustainable development, Mrs. Sweta Saxena, Chief of staff at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), focused in her remarks on poverty, which is one of the biggest hurdles in attaining sustainable development, and also robs people of their dignity to lead a decent and fulfilling life. Indeed, eliminating poverty has been an international goal for the last 75 years, and the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted in 2015 also has “No Poverty” goal as its first priority, she stressed.
Thus, Mrs. Sweta’s question was to know about what everyone has done so far to eradicate poverty. She gave the example of China which has recorded a fast economic growth over the last three decades and succeeded in lifting people out of extreme poverty, which offers hope and advice to Africa because, she explained, at the current juncture, Africa has all the ingredients for success, that is, 65% of the world’s arable land, 40% of world’s solar irradiation potential, 30% of world’s mineral reserves, 71% of global cobalt production, and 77% of global platinum. ” A continent so rich cannot afford anyone to be poor. What it needs is inspiring leadership, inclusive institutions, and economic and social policies that ensure upward social mobility for current and future generations “, she highlighted.
For his part, the permanent representative of the African Union (AU) to China, Mr. Rahamtalla M. Osman, pointed out after congratulating the CAI that over the past five years, CAI has made significant contributions to promoting cooperation between Africa and China, deepening mutual learning between Chinese and African civilizations, and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of Africa and China through its rich and diverse academic activities and fruitful research results. He reassured that AU is willing to continue maintaining a good cooperative relationship with CAI and facilitate exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African think tanks.
” Dialogue facilitates effective understanding, mutual respect, and cooperation among different cultures and societies, thereby bringing more peace, tranquility, and progress to the world. Through dialogue and exchange, people can learn from each other, dispel stereotypes and misunderstandings, and work together to address common problems and challenges. As Africa and China join hands to stride towards a high-level community with a shared future, such dialogue is indispensable “, he noted.
In recent years, he added, the AU and its member states have shown significantly increased attention to the protection and inheritance of African cultural heritage, which has become an important manifestation of Africa’s independent development strategy in the cultural field. To encourage cultural diversity, foster creativity industries, and protect intangible cultural heritage, the AU and its member states have enacted a series of policies, demonstrating Africa’s confidence, autonomy, and spirit of self-improvement in culture.
The independent development of African culture is a complex and diverse process involving coalition among African nations, societies, and individuals, encompassing aspects such as language, arts, music, dance, literature, traditional customs, and belief systems. It serves as an intrinsic driving force for the African Cultural Renaissance (ACR).
Within the African Union’s “Agenda 2063,” the establishment of an “Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics” is one of its seven major visions. To achieve this, the AU has set goals for showcasing the ACR and identified three priority areas such as pan-African values and ideologies, cultural values, and the ACR, revealed the permanent representative of the AU to China, while believing that this aligns closely with the theme of the very dialogue on civilizations and will continue to be a focus of future dialogues between African and Chinese civilizations.
It is worthy to note that the intern journalists from different African countries, supervised by the China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC), also attended the third conference on dialogue between Chinese and African civilizations, which drew more than 100 participants including Chinese and African scholars, diplomats, members of the media and African students in China. Shortly before, they made a guided visit to the premises of the CAI.
