——持续动力与战略创新
唐晓阳
拉赫曼塔拉·默罕默德·奥斯曼(Rahamtalla M. Osman Elnor)
非盟驻华代表
特肖梅·托加(Teshome·Toga) 埃塞俄比亚驻华大使
傅弋珂 芮婉洁 (Hannah Wanjie Ryder)
导读
非洲将聚焦与中国的新发展理念相契合的领域，以期在中国长期发展目标的指引下继续深化非中合作关系
●鼓励跨境基础设施投资
●拓展加深政府间及企业界合作
●聚焦与新发展理念相契合的领域
2021年3月4日至11日，全国人民代表大会和中国人民政治协商会议（简称两会）在北京召开，会上讨论通过了《中华人民共和国国民经济和社会发展第十四个五年规划和2035年远景目标纲要》，擘画出中国站在全面建成小康社会的新起点上，乘势而上开启全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程的宏伟蓝图，旨在促进社会经济发展、科学技术进步，提高工业化水平和国家治理能力，并在2035年实现社会主义现代化。中国想要在2025年即第十四个五年规划结束之时跻身高收入国家之列，并在2035年实现经济总量和人均GDP翻番。
两会对于非洲而言意义重大，两会通过的《纲要》将为中非伙伴关系和中非合作注入新动力。自从2000年中非合作论坛启动以来，中非合作经历了二十年的飞速拓展加深，实实在在地诠释了非中源远流长的传统友谊具有持久的生命力。2013年，中国提出了“一带一路”倡议，参与国横跨欧亚，并拓展到非洲，该倡议为沿线国家与中国在基础设施领域进行开发投资活动提供了新平台。
中非合作论坛自启动以来已走过二十年风风雨雨，中非合作在政治、经济、科技、文化等领域硕果累累。非中在促进可持续发展、提高非洲人民生活水平方面迈出了重要步伐，并在投资、经贸、医疗、农业、能源、文教、人文交流等领域取得了重要务实成果，实现了互利共赢。在“一带一路”倡议框架下，中国大力投资非洲铁路、港口、机场、医院、水利、农业、卫生、通信和能源等领域基础设施建设。
尽管非中在中非合作论坛和“一带一路”倡议框架下取得了很多互惠务实成果，非中仍需抓住机会最大程度利用好消费市场、贸易投资等各方面的潜在机遇。
鼓励跨境基础设施投资
非洲对于非盟《2063年议程》的实施非常重视。该《议程》以非洲历史上及现有的经济增长与可持续发展规划倡议为基础，描摹出非洲接下来50年社会经济转型的战略框架。《2063年议程》囊括了农业、自贸区、工业化、科技、基础设施等领域的十年期实施计划。非洲在《2063年议程》框架下，启动了“非洲基础设施发展计划”、非洲大陆自贸区、非洲农业发展综合计划、非盟发展署及其前身非洲发展新伙伴计划，以及区域经济共同体计划，为非洲一体化贡献力量。
非洲大陆自贸区将为非洲发展注入关键动力，并为非洲国家推进非洲内部贸易，实现非洲大陆经济多元化结构性转型，完成重要社会经济发展目标提供宝贵机遇。非洲大陆自贸区有助于统一非洲各国贸易政策和监管框架，加快贸易谈判，凝聚重要共识，达成务实成果，降低营商成本，推进非洲工业化，鼓励跨境基础设施项目等等。
值得注意的是，目前非洲基础设施仍处于短缺状态。非洲的基础设施建设成本高于别处，假如非洲不能突破这一瓶颈，非洲大陆自贸区所能带来的好处将大打折扣，非洲的进出口情况、产业竞争力、企业利润率都将受到波及。为了激发市场活力，确保自贸区的经济带动作用得以充分释放，加大力度投资基础设施是一项重要先决条件，尤其是跨境基础设施投资，将在非洲各项发展规划的实施中发挥重要作用，并对非洲经济一体化和经济增长起到关键的支持作用。
拓展加深政府间及企业界合作
为了实现非洲大陆自贸区的目标，非中需要在中非合作论坛和“一带一路”倡议框架下加强合作，以便调动两方资源，团结利益攸关方，赋能自贸区的落地实施。非洲大陆自贸区实施后，非洲将会迎来更多贸易机会，非洲将会成为更具吸引力的投资洼地；中国及非洲其他合作伙伴将从中受益，获得更多的投资机会，并进入到规模更大、效率更高、一体化程度更强的消费市场。因此，拓展加深非中政府间及企业界合作对于调配更多资源投入到基础设施建设中、推进工业化进程、促进非中贸易增长而言至关重要。中方多次表示支持非洲大陆自贸区的实施。
疫情当前，非中合作面临挑战。2020年对于世界各国而言都是极具挑战性的一年。疫情加大了非洲经济活动的下行压力，扰乱了价值链，导致企业关停倒闭，并大大减少了非洲各国税收收入。即便非洲各国做出大量防控努力，企图减缓疫情影响，但受到疫情严重冲击的非洲很难仅凭一己之力扭转颓势，重新回到社会经济发展的良性轨道上。中国始终不吝于向非洲伸出抗疫援手，非中应继续落实中非团结抗疫特别峰会上取得的共识，牵头推进疫情防控。希望中方能协助非洲在中国采购医疗物资，加快推进非洲疾控中心总部建设，加强非中在医疗、疫苗、药品、复工复产和民生等关键领域的双边合作。
聚焦与新发展理念相契合的领域
非洲将聚焦与中国的新发展理念相契合的领域，以期在中国长期发展目标的指引下继续深化非中合作关系，今年年末即将在塞内加尔举办的中非合作论坛第八届部长级会议为非洲提供了良好的契机。2021年中非合作论坛第八届部长级会议将为非中互利合作和共同发展提质升级发挥重要且深远的作用。中国早已将非洲列为重要合作伙伴之一，即将召开的中非合作论坛部长级会议有望进一步深化中方“两个一百年”奋斗目标与非盟《2063年议程》以及非洲国家各自的发展战略的对接，会议在常规讨论话题的基础上应增加疫情后社会经济复苏、医疗、数字经济、蓝色经济、绿色发展等新议题。
近年来中国在减贫和消除绝对贫穷方面取得的举世瞩目的成就使其成为了第一个提前实现联合国千年发展目标减贫部分内容的发展中国家。中国的减贫经验值得非洲国家借鉴。
毋庸置疑，非洲代表着未来，非洲的经济潜力难以估量。非洲庞大、急剧增长的年轻人口是带动经济增长的重要驱动力，中国与非洲的传统友谊深厚，在促进对非经验分享、弘扬首创精神、推动人文交流方面投入巨大，为非洲年轻人能力建设贡献巨大。
非中关系应朝着非洲《2063年议程》、中非合作论坛、“一带一路”倡议的发展目标的方向拓展加深。与中国加深合作也将助力非洲实现联合国《2030年可持续发展议程》设定的可持续发展目标。非方在此呼吁各利益攸关方在实施中非合作计划中积极发挥作用，并调用相应的合作方资源确保计划顺利落地。
编辑 | 张梅
设计 | 大米
——Approaches and Impacts of China-Africa Economic cooperation
Tang Xiaoyang
H.E. Ambassador Rahamtalla M. Osman Elnor
Permanent Representative Of The African Union To China
H.E.Teshome Toga Chanaka , Ambassador of Ethiopia to China
Yike Fu and Hannah Wanjie Ryder
The
National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC) held their
annual sessions (the Two Sessions) from 4 to 11 March 2021,
simultaneously. At the core of these Two Sessions, was the discussion
and adoption of the outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for
National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives
Through the Year 2035 which foresees the finishing building a moderately
prosperous Chinese society in all respects within the set time frame,
through a new journey in the coming years toward fully building of a
modern country. The approved long-term objectives aim at achieving
socialist modernization by 2035, through strengthening the
socio-economic development, technology development, industrialization,
and governance. China targets to become a high-income country by the end
of the 14th Five Year Plan in 2025, and to double the size of its
economy and GDP per capita by 2035.
For
Africa, the just concluded Two Sessions are significant in the promise
they hold for added impetus in the China-Africa partnership and
cooperation. In fact, China-Africa cooperation have experienced
exponential growth in the last two decades thanks to the launching in
2000 of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which gave
practical expression to the historic solidarity that have traditionally
existed between Africa and China, in addition to the Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) launched in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, initially
involving development and investment initiatives on infrastructures that
would stretch from East Asia to Europe, which was later extended to
Africa.
In
these two decades of FOCAC, the China-Africa cooperation have witnessed
various achievements in the political, economic, technical, scientific
and socio-cultural fields. The partnership have made vital and
formidable footprints in the struggle for sustainable development and
improved living conditions for people in Africa and has delivered some
concrete outcomes that are beneficial to both sides, including in areas
such as investment, trade, health, agriculture, energy, education,
culture and people-to-people exchanges, among other areas. In addition
to that, through the BRI, China has invested tangibly in Africa’s
infrastructural development, including railways, ports, airports,
hospitals, water, agriculture, sanitation, telecommunications and energy
related infrastructures.
However,
while the cooperation under FOCAC and BRI frameworks has delivered many
concrete outcomes that are mutual beneficial, China and Africa still
needs to utilize the partnership to the fullest in terms of the
potential of the available market, investment, trade and the business
opportunities.
Africa
in particularly, is keen on ensuring the implementation of the Agenda
2063. This Agenda is the continental strategic framework for the
socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years
and it is builds on, and seeks to accelerate the implementation of past
and existing continental initiatives for growth and sustainable
development. For its operationalization the Agenda 2063, includes a 10
years implementation plan in the areas of agriculture, free trade area,
industrialization, science and technology, infrastructures, etc. Also,
within the framework of the Agenda 2063, Africa has developed concrete
projects for the development of the continent, including the Programme
for Infrastructural Development in Africa (PIDA), the African
Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) the Comprehensive Africa
Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), the New partnership for
Africa’s Development (NEPAD) – transformed into AU Development Agency
(AUDA) and regional plans of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
considered as the building blocks of the continental integration.
One
of the key enables of the African development is the AfCFTA, which
represents a window of opportunity for African countries to promote
intra-African trade, diversify and structurally transform the
continent’s economy, and pursue important socio-economic development
goals. The goals of the AfCFTA is to harmonize the trade policies and
the regulatory framework, rationalizes trade negotiations, reduces the
cost of doing business, supports industrialization, and stimulates
cross-border infrastructure projects.
It
is noteworthy that Africa still suffers from the lack of sufficient
infrastructures. The cost of infrastructure services is very high in
Africa than anywhere else in the world, and if not addressed, may
challenge the progress towards the full realization of the Free Trade
Area and undermine, trade, competitiveness and in some cases business
viability. As such, to stimulate economic development and secure the
full benefits of the Free Trade Area, investment in infrastructure is
required particularly the cross-border infrastructures that plays a
central role in Africa’s development agenda and are critical for
supporting the continent’s economic integration and growth.
In
order to realize the goals of the AfCFTA a strong partnership with
China through FOCAC and BRI are required to mobilize resources and
stakeholders to advance its implementation. The full implementation of
the AfCFTA will expand trade opportunities and improve the prospects of
Africa as an attractive investment destination. China and other partners
will benefit from investments opportunities and access to a wider
efficient and harmonized market. For this reason, the widening of
China-Africa public and private sector partnership is critical to
mobilize resources for investment in infrastructures, in order to
stimulate industrial growth and China-Africa trade. China has already
committed to support the efforts for full realization of the AfCFTA.
China-Africa
cooperation is still challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. While 2020
was a challenging year for the entire world due to COVID-19 pandemic, in
Africa it has led to a slowdown in economic activities, destroyed value
chains, caused the closure of several companies and considerably
reduced tax revenues in the countries. Africa have been negatively
affected by the pandemic and is now feeling both the socio-economic
impact despite efforts being undertaken to control and manage its
impacts across the continent. In addition to China’ support provided to
mitigate the impact of the pandemic in Africa, the two sides should
continue to spearhead the epidemic response as guided by the
Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19
pandemic, including facilitating Africa’s access of medical supplies in
China, speeding up the construction of the Africa CDC headquarters, and
enhancing cooperation key areas such as health, vaccines and medicines,
work and production resumption, and people’s livelihood.
To optimize
the development partnerships within the approved long development goals
for China, Africa will be looking at areas where it can align itself
with China’s new thinking, particularly as it looks forward to upgrading
the partnership during the forthcoming (FOCAC) summit, which will be
held by the end of this year in Senegal. The 2021 FOCAC will be a
significant and far-reaching event that can take the win-win cooperation
and common development between China and Africa to a higher level.
China has already put Africa as one of its key development partner and
there is a huge expectation that the forthcoming FOCAC will enhance
synergy between China’s Two Centenary Goals with AU 2063 Agenda and the
development strategies of individual African countries. Post-COVID-19
socio-economic recovery, health, digital economy, blue economy and green
development should be highlighted on the forthcoming FOCAC’s agenda in
addition to the usual topics.
China’s
remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and absolute poverty
eradication in recent years have made it the first developing country to
achieve the poverty-reduction targets set by the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) ahead of the schedule. Hence, there is a consensus that
China’s poverty reduction approach serves as a useful model for Africa.
Africa
undoubtably is the continent of the future, with enormous economic
potentialities. This is to add the youthful population, which constitute
a large and rapidly growing proportion of the population in the
continent. Africa’s young population represents an opportunity to drive
the continent towards development and China as a consistent partner of
Africa and its member states, plays a key role in supporting the
empowerment of youth in Africa, through promotion of knowledge sharing,
entrepreneurship, cultural and experiences exchanges, etc.
There
is a need to strengthen the collaboration between Africa and China
towards achieving the outcomes that are in line with the aspirations of
Africa’s Agenda 2063, the FOCAC cooperation framework, and in achieving
China’s BRI cooperation objectives. This partnership will also support
Africa to achieve the Sustainable Development targets established under
UN Agenda 2030. All stakeholders are called upon to play a key role in
articulating the implementation of China-Africa development plans, and
mobilizing the necessary partnerships to such effect.
Editor | Zhang Mei
Design | Demi