China and Africa should deepen cooperation in a bid to accelerate modernization over the next five years, senior Chinese officials and leading African scholars said this week during the Hong Ting Forum held in Nairobi.
The high-level meeting, organized by the Xinhua News Agency Africa Regional Bureau, brought together media leaders, scholars, and policy experts from Nairobi and Beijing to explore opportunities and challenges in creating a shared modernization model.
Speakers from both sides agreed that the next phase of China-Africa relations should focus on innovation-driven, green, people-centered, and inclusive development.
The forum, themed “Opportunities and Challenges for China and Africa to Advance Modernization Together in the Next Five Years”, coincided with China’s recently approved development blueprint for its next planning cycle as Africa strives to realize Agenda 2063 and its regional industrialization goals.
Qing Xuemin, Director of the Sixth Research Department at the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, stated that China’s new Five-Year Plan serves as a roadmap not only for China’s own modernization but also for enhancing China-Africa cooperation.
“Chinese modernization is socialist modernization led by the CPC. It features the common characteristics of modernization found in all countries, but it is uniquely shaped by China’s specific national conditions,” he said
Stressing the strong foundation of ties between China and Africa, he noted that cooperation in infrastructure, agricultural modernization, energy, and the digital economy would yield broader prospects.
“Under the strategic position of both countries, China and Africa will work together to overcome difficulties and jointly contribute to China-Africa cooperation. Let’s embark on a new chain of cooperation for mutual benefit,” he said, underlining that Chinese is not merely a replication of Western models but a path shaped by China’s history, culture, and national realities, an approach he believes African nations can adapt to suit their own contexts.
Ying Qiang, Director General of Xinhua News Agency Africa Regional Bureau, remarked that both sides are at a pivotal moment, with China charting a new modernization roadmap and Africa accelerating its economic transformation.
“Development is a common aspiration of all nations. President Xi has emphasized that openness and cooperation are essential for the world, and that mutual benefit and win-win outcomes reflect the aspirations of the people,” Ying said
Ying highlighted the outcomes of the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit, where President Xi announced zero-tariff treatment for 53 African countries and proposed ten partnership actions to drive joint modernization. He also pointed to China’s Global Governance Initiative as a new public good that aligns with the needs of the Global South, particularly for African countries seeking fairer participation in global governance.
“Together, we can advance side-by-side, share opportunities, support each other’s progress, and achieve common development in the pursuit of modernization,” he said
He also noted Xinhua News Agency’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with African partners, sharing stories of China-Kenya and China-Africa collaboration, and strengthening public support for enduring China-Africa relations.
Kenyan scholars at the forum expressed strong support for enhanced Sino-African cooperation in modernization, asserting that China presents a credible, proven, and non-coercive development model for the Global South.
Professor Peter Kagwanja, President of the Africa Policy Institute, remarked that China’s success in lifting 850 million people out of poverty illustrates that modernization can occur without adopting Western political or economic prescriptions.
“Africa and China are crystal clear that modernization is not westernization. They have paid the consequences of imported or externally imposed models of modernization, which have distorted their economies and left in their trail poverty, inequalities and underdevelopment, often leading to cycles of conflict, destruction and death,” Kagwanja said.
Kagwanja noted that FOCAC has given Africa an unprecedented platform to negotiate a mutually beneficial development pathway, highlighting that China has invested over USD 250 billion into African infrastructure, including roads, ports, railways, and industrial parks.
He explained that modernization cooperation has historical roots in the ancient “Silk Roads” where both civilizations exchanged goods, services, and ideas.
Dr. Hassan Khannenje, Director of the Horn Institute, described China as a “proof of concept” for Global South modernization and identified the next five years as a critical window for China-Africa cooperation.
He outlined three key areas for collaboration: green manufacturing (including the assembly of electric vehicles, solar panels, and batteries in Africa); digital payments and e-commerce, leveraging China’s leadership in cross-border digital finance; and AI-powered agricultural modernization to enhance food security through precision farming, advanced logistics, and real-time crop intelligence.
“The strategic imperative is clear: Chinese leadership, grounded in proven experience and strategic alignment, is essential for guiding this transformative journey,” said
Khannenje. He added that modernization does not equate to westernization and that nations can modernize while preserving their civilizational identity and harmony with nature.
Samuel Maina, Editor-in-Chief of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, referred to China’s rise as “a blueprint for what determined modernization can achieve,” citing its advancements in infrastructure, renewable energy, digital technologies, and agriculture.
He noted that China’s leadership in 5G, AI, fintech, electric vehicles, and renewable energy provides Africa with practical pathways to accelerate its own modernization.
“For Africa, these technological advancements present immense opportunities in agriculture, surveillance, creative industries, journalism, and emergency response,” Maina stated, emphasizing that improved efficiency in these areas could significantly enhance public services and media capabilities. He
warned that Africa cannot afford to remain passive during this transformation, asserting that failing to adopt new technologies and smarter development models will only exacerbate existing development gaps.
Maina further underscored the importance of China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), stating that it aligns closely with Africa’s modernization priorities and offers tangible, implementable solutions.
The experts urged both sides to dismantle ideological barriers, expand cross-border collaboration in technology and green innovation, and strengthen exchanges between think tanks and media to enhance public understanding.
