China and African nations have hailed substantial progress in implementing commitments from the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), with China providing over RMB130 billion in financial support and announcing 35 concrete achievements across ten sectors.
This was revealed during the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of Follow-up Actions, held from June 10 to 12 in Changsha, Hunan Province.
The Beijing Summit, which took place in September 2024, launched an ambitious roadmap to establish an “All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era,” anchored in a six-point modernization agenda and ten partnership actions. In the months that followed, China and African nations have collaboratively developed a clear timetable for delivery, supported by high-level consultations and strategic planning.
The meeting announced that China-Africa trade reached a historic high of US$295.6 billion in 2024. As part of its support for African economies, China fully implemented zero-tariff treatment for 100% of tariff lines from Least Developed Countries (LDCs) with diplomatic ties. Over 2,400 African food companies are now registered to export to China, benefitting from 22 agricultural export protocols signed with 18 countries.
Furthermore, Chinese financial institutions have provided over RMB17 billion in trade financing and RMB2 billion in loans to African small and medium enterprises (SMEs), creating thousands of jobs and enhancing industrial capacity across the continent.
It was also reported that the Belt and Road cooperation has expanded with new agreements signed with some African countries including Kenya, South Sudan, and Equatorial Guinea. China also contributed RMB72.3 billion in development financing and undertook infrastructure projects that generated over RMB134 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, financial connectivity improved, with African financial institutions receiving RMB11.2 billion in credit support, including a Panda Bond issued by the African Export-Import Bank.
In the health sector, the meeting was told that over 500 Chinese medical personnel treated more than a million patients across Africa. Mobile medical missions, such as “Brightness Action” and the “Peace Ark” hospital ship, provided services in 12 countries.
In agriculture, more than 200 experts were deployed to transfer technology and build local capacity, with additional support for mechanisation and food aid to nine nations.
Meanwhile, China has expedited its climate partnership with Africa, committing RMB21 billion to clean energy projects and launching a Special Fund for Green Industrial Chains. The China-Africa Green Envoys Program and early warning climate systems have been established in several countries.
In terms of security, it was reported that China has signed cooperation agreements under its Global Security Initiative (GSI), initiated demining and police equipment projects, and expanded military and peacekeeping training with African partners. In the realm of technology, capacity-building initiatives for Artificial Intelligence (AI) have commenced, and both parties have pledged to enhance digital trade and e-commerce connections.
Youth and cultural exchanges have flourished, with over 10,000 Africans receiving professional training and 114 universities engaging in academic cooperation programmes. Events such as the China-Africa Youth Festival and entrepreneurship competitions are planned to continue through 2025.
The Changsha ministerial meeting confirmed that the 2024 Beijing Summit is not merely symbolic; and that “it has resulted in tangible outcomes” that are improving lives across the continent. With a sustained focus on partnership, mutual respect, and modernization, the leaders from the two sides said China and Africa are building the foundation for a lasting alliance that is set to influence global economic and development discussions.
