Dakar Declaration of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation

1. We, the Heads of Delegation of the People's Republic of China, 53 African countries and the African Union Commission (AUC), gathered in Dakar, Senegal on 29-30 November 2021 for the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Under the theme "Deepen China-Africa Partnership and Promote Sustainable Development to Build a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era" and committed to the development of FOCAC and to the deepening of the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership, we adopted by consensus the Dakar Declaration of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC.

2. Facing COVID-19 pandemic, of a scale unseen in a century, the world has entered a new phase of uncertainty, with headwinds to multilateralism and increasingly serious global challenges such as climate change and terrorism. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the governance and development deficits of human society and posed a serious threat to the life and health of people of all countries. Facing the pandemic, China and African countries have taken robust, proactive and effective measures, and made important contributions to the global response accordingly.

3. We recall and fully endorse the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, which has been commended by leaders of China and Africa at various levels of engagement. We call on countries around the world to work in concert to promote the shared interests of all humanity, build an open, inclusive, clean, environmentally friendly and sustainable world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity, foster a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation.

4. We are satisfied with the fruitful results of the China-Africa relationship achieved since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and African countries and the creation of FOCAC. We applaud the unanimous decision of Chinese and African leaders at the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit to build a China-Africa community with a shared future that assumes joint responsibility, pursues win-win cooperation, delivers happiness for all, enjoys cultural prosperity, enjoys common security and promotes harmony between man and nature. We are determined to elevate the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to even higher levels and setting a good example of a community with a shared future for mankind.

5. China and Africa will uphold and value the principles of no harm and harmony, sincerity, equality, mutual respect, mutual benefits, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing greater good and shared interests, and adopt a people-oriented approach in pursuing practical cooperation with efficiency and embrace openness and inclusiveness. China is committed to no interference in African countries' pursuit of development paths that suit their national conditions, no interference in the internal affairs of African countries, no imposition of its own will on African countries, no attachment of political strings to assistance to Africa, and no seeking of political gains in investment and financing cooperation with Africa. China and Africa will follow the principle of common, intensive, green, safe and open development and deepen their friendly cooperation. Africa applauds these principles and approaches, and stands ready to work with China to pass on the traditional friendship from generation to generation.

6. The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for all humanity and joint cooperation will lead to its containment. We applaud the success of the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 held in June 2020, which demonstrates the strong will of China and Africa to combat the pandemic and overcome difficulties together. China appreciates the solidarity and support from African countries and regional organizations such as the AU for China’s fight against COVID-19. Africa commends China’s robust support for its pandemic response, including starting ahead of schedule the construction of the Africa CDC headquarters to help enhance Africa’s capacity for disease prevention and control and sustainable development. To strengthen cooperation in public health, China supports its pharmaceutical companies in transferring technologies to African countries, and will work to advance cooperation between paired-up Chinese and African hospitals and the construction of China-Africa Friendship Hospitals, and the building of Africa CDC headquarters. China will provide more medical assistance to support Africa in strengthening prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases and building up public health capacity, with a view to building a China-Africa community of health for all.

7. We reaffirm our full support to the World Health Organization (WHO) for its leading and coordinating role in COVID-19 response and the wider global health agenda. We firmly oppose any attempt to politicize, label or stigmatize the virus, encourage and call for international origins-tracing cooperation in a science-based, professional, impartial and constructive manner on the basis of the Report of the China-WHO Joint Mission on COVID-19. We hold the view that COVID-19 vaccines should be a global public good. The international community must discard "vaccine nationalism", increase vaccine supply to Africa, guarantee equitable distribution, and ensure vaccine accessibility and affordability in Africa. We reaffirm our support to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX). Africa appreciates China's vaccine donations and exports to African countries in need, and applauds the important contributions of Chinese vaccines to Africa's fight against the pandemic. Both sides support the waiver of intellectual property rights of COVID-19 vaccines. We commend efforts by Chinese companies in conducting joint vaccine production in some African countries and welcome similar cooperation in more African countries.

8. Following the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and the philosophy of open, green and clean cooperation, we will advance high-standard, people-centered and sustainable Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa. China welcomes the fact that African countries have joined the big family of Belt and Road cooperation. China supports Africa in accelerating regional integration and connectivity, and works for a strong synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Agenda 2063 of the AU, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the UN, as well as the development strategies of African countries, in an effort to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa.

9. We are pleased to note that over the past 21 years since its inception, FOCAC has developed stronger mechanisms and produced remarkable results in practical cooperation between African countries and China. We applaud the fruitful results in implementing the follow-up actions of the outcomes of the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit, including the eight major initiatives and the FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2019-2021). We will work together to further strengthen FOCAC, into a well-established framework, and upgrade China-Africa cooperation in key areas such as public health, investment, trade, industrialization, infrastructure, agriculture and food security, climate change, peace and security, human resources, digital and blue economy.

10. China commends Africa's new progress in seeking strength through unity, takes note of the important achievements in the reform of AU agencies, and stands ready to strengthen cooperation with the AU, its agencies and African sub-regional organizations to work for more outcomes in China-Africa transnational and trans-regional cooperation, and applaud the opening of the African Union's representative office in China in 2018.

11. We agree to continue to give each other firm support in upholding territorial integrity, sovereignty, security and development interests. African members of FOCAC reaffirm their commitment to the one-China principle, their support for China’s reunification and China’s efforts in resolving territorial and maritime disputes peacefully through friendly consultation and negotiation. Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet related issues are China’s internal affairs, as observed in the international law and the non-interference principle. China reaffirms its commitment, on the basis of the one-China principle, to growing friendship and cooperation with all African countries and sharing with them its development opportunities. We advocate respect for the rights of people of all countries to independently choose the path of human rights development in light of their national conditions, call for the promotion and protection of human rights through constructive dialogues and cooperation, and oppose politicization of and double standards on human rights issues.

12. Africa warmly congratulates China on the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), commends the remarkable achievements in national development made by the Chinese people of all ethnic groups under the leadership of the CPC, and applauds China’s great victory in completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eradicating extreme poverty in rural areas by 2020, ten years before the UN SDGs . Noting that Africa collectively needs to reduce poverty at twice the rate as China in order to meet the same SDGs, we will strengthen exchanges between China and African countries to enhance experience sharing on governance, poverty alleviation and development, with a view to achieving common development.

13. We are committed to multilateralism and support for the UN's undertakings. We have made important contributions to global peace and development over the past 50 years since the restoration of China's lawful seat at the UN. We reaffirm our commitment to observing the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, firmly upholding the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, and supporting the UN's central role in international affairs. We will vigorously promote multilateralism and democracy in international relations, and stand for equality between all countries irrespective of their size, strength or wealth. We stand against all forms of racial discrimination, and ideological confrontation.

14. We welcome the strides made 26 years after the World Conference on Women held in Beijing and recognize that women and girls play a vital role as agents of change and development. In line with the priorities of United Nation's SDGs and “AU Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment” (2018-2028), we agree to strengthen China-Africa cooperation for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment on the respect of different custom and culture especially in the areas of employment, leadership, decent work, entrepreneurship, education and life-learning, agriculture, health-care, prevention and response to gender based violence, and access to finance. Noting new challenges posed by COVID-19 and the gender gaps that remain, we pledge to strengthen our collective efforts and cooperation towards achieving gender equality and women’s and girls' empowerment in China and Africa for a full, effective and accelerated implementation of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

15. China firmly supports more African representatives to lead international organizations and agencies, and supports African countries' active participation in global governance and greater roles in international affairs. China and Africa underscore the unique responsibility conferred upon the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to maintain international peace and security. We welcome the growing support for Africa and call for necessary reforms of the UN including the Security Council to redress the historic injustices done to African countries, including increasing the representation of developing countries, in particular African countries, in the UN and its Security Council. The African side recalls that its goal is to be fully represented in the UN, particularly in the Security Council, as stated in the unified african position.

16. We are committed to common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable global security, support the settlement of African issues with African solutions and the settlement of disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation. China is ready to actively support Africa in implementing the Silencing the Guns initiative, support relevant countries in countering terrorist threats and combating piracy and illegal fishing and trafficking. China supports the peace building efforts in Africa according to the national priorities of the African countries and in consistency with the principles of national ownership and national leadership of the peace building processes as well as accelerate steps to provide military aid to the African Standby Force and G5 Sahel Joint Force. In addition, China and Africa renew their commitment to work together to support the post conflict reconstruction and development efforts through the AUC-PCRD in Egypt. China and Africa call on the UN to provide predictable and sustainable funding for Africa's independent peacekeeping operations.

17. We share the view that as the biggest developing country and the continent with the largest number of developing countries, China and Africa both deserve the right to development and happy lives, and both are facing the pressing task of accelerating development. We welcome the release of the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 at the conference. China is ready to take the fostering of a new development paradigm as an opportunity to better synergize its development strategies with those of the AU and African countries, and support Africa in accelerating the implementation of the AU Agenda 2063, and achieving independent and sustainable development at an early date.

18. African countries welcome and support the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China. We believe that global partnership is imperative to accelerate implementation of Agenda 2063 of the AU and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the UN, and commit to promote stronger, greener and healthier global development and build a global community of development with a shared future. We are pleased to note that China and some African countries have adopted the Initiative on Partnership for Africa’s Development. We believe that Africa is a major stage for international cooperation rather than an arena for major-power competition. We call on more countries and organizations, especially Africa’s traditional partners, to join the Initiatives, so as to expedite Africa’s economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 era.

19. China welcomes the start of trading of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on 1 January 2021. China believes that AfCFTA, a significant milestone in Africa's economic integration, has injected strong impetus to the efforts to uphold multilateralism and free trade and build an open world economy. We applaud the fruitful outcomes of China-Africa trade and economic cooperation. Building on its new round of high-level opening-up, China is ready to support the development of AfCFTA, and actively conduct Silk Road e-commerce cooperation with Africa. China support African countries in promoting their products in China through platforms such as China International Import Expo, China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair, so as to increase the export of high-quality specialty products including agricultural and food products to China.

20. China and Africa have played a positive and constructive role in global economic governance and will continue to support the WTO-centered and rules-based multilateral trading regime, uphold WTO's core values and basic principles, actively take part in WTO reform, safeguard the development rights, interests and policy space of developing countries, and oppose the use of state power to suppress business cooperation.

21. China encourages Chinese enterprises to expand investment in Africa, and supports Africa in localizing production, accelerating economic transformation and increasing product competitiveness. Africa appreciates China's publication of the Chinese Enterprises' Investment in Africa, welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Africa, and stands ready to actively share with Africa investment policies, market opportunities and legal and regulatory information through mechanisms and platforms including mixed bilateral economic and trade committees. We will scale up investment cooperation and enhance industrial connectivity and production capacity cooperation. We will consult with each other to sign and upgrade bilateral agreements on investment protection and double taxation avoidance, with a view to providing our enterprises with a fair, transparent and nondiscriminatory business environment. We will also support enterprises in conducting cooperation through such means as Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT).

22. Africa appreciates China's active implementation of the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative. China stands ready to work with the international community, in line with the principle of joint actions and fair burden-sharing, to increase support to African countries that are hardest hit by COVID-19 and are under heavy financial stress, and help them overcome current difficulties. We call on developed countries, multilateral financial institutions, and commercial creditors to take stronger actions to help African countries reduce debt burden, and support countries with surplus Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to channel a share of their SDRs to low-income African countries in need, in order to help African countries realize independent and sustainable development. We call on the IMF, the World Bank and other international financial institutions to improve their approval procedures for financial support to African countries, enhance work efficiency and lend more support to government investment spending of African countries.

23. We urge developed countries to fulfill their Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment to developing countries, especially African countries, on time and in full, expand assistance, actively provide financial, technological and capacity building support, and enhance experience sharing, so as to help African countries reduce poverty, improve livelihood, expand employment, and strengthen disaster mitigation and prevention capability.

24. We welcome the release of the Declaration on China-Africa Cooperation on Climate Change at this conference, and recognize the important contributions made by developing countries to tackling climate change. We reaffirm our support for and participation in efforts to combat climate change in accordance with the targets and principles set forth by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement. We call on all parties of the international community to uphold such principles as "common but differentiated responsibilities", and accommodate and take seriously the special difficulties and concerns of developing countries. Developed countries should demonstrate greater ambitions and take stronger actions to earnestly help developing countries, African countries in particular, enhance their capability and resilience to respond to climate change, and strengthen funding, technology, capacity building and other support. China supports Africa in successfully hosting the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Egypt. Africa applauds China's announcement to strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, and speaks positively of the 15th meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Kunming, China in October 2021.

25. We support efforts to vigorously develop the green economy, advocate a green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable way of development, and work actively to build an environment-friendly society. We fully leverage the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center to advance policy dialogue, exchanges and cooperation on environmental protection. We welcome the positive role of the China-African Union Energy Partnership to increase the share of clean energy and promote sustainable energy development of both sides. We believe that the blue economy is of significant value to the sustainable development of African countries, and call for special attention to the vulnerability of small island developing countries under the impact of climate change. We are committed to strengthening marine ecological conservation and oppose irresponsible destructive actions. We are committed to enhancing the protection of wild fauna and flora, and working together to crack down on relevant illegal trade.

26. Recognising that the internet is a force for good, an enabler of trade, creator of jobs and facilitator of development, especially for women empowerment, we agree to strengthen cooperation on science and technology and support Africa in accelerating the development of digital economy, in particular to boost access to the high-speed internet and Africa’s pan-African e-network as well as development of satellite and aerospace technology in Africa. We agree to dedicate finance to and expand exchanges and cooperation on digitalization and communication technology, especially remote medical services, e-commerce, remote learning, 5G and future sensing and big data, support Africa in building smart cities and enhance international cooperation on the peaceful use of outer space. Africa takes due note of and will further positively consider the Global Initiative on Data Security launched by China. We stand ready to build on this Initiative to advance the formulation of global digital governance rules, and call on the international community to jointly build a peaceful, secure, open, cooperative and orderly cyberspace and a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

27. China applauds the outcomes of the AU Year of the Arts, Culture and Heritage 2021, commends the coming-into-effect of the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, and supports the AU and African countries in implementing the Charter. We believe that people-to-people exchanges are important to increasing understanding, friendship and cooperation between Chinese and African peoples. Under the new circumstances, China and Africa need to further expand exchanges and cooperation in areas namely education, science and technology, sports, health, tourism, youth, women, media and culture including combatting illicit trafficking of cultural property through sharing information and repatriating cultural property that has been illegally excavated, stolen or smuggled to the countries of origin. China and Africa will foster cooperation between think tanks and local governments, so as to enhance people-to-people connectivity and mutual learning between civilizations, and foster a stronger social foundation for China-Africa friendship. We call on the international community to respect cultural diversity, rise above differences in ideology and social system, and oppose attempts to intentionally provoke clashes between civilizations.

28. We are committed to promoting the sustained and sound development of the Olympic Movement, and oppose the politicization of sports. Africa supports China in hosting the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and wishes the Games a great success.

29. We pledge to work toward building an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future in the post-COVID era, build on past achievements, work together closely, and maintain high-level development of China-Africa relations. We will jointly build a "Healthy Africa","Industrialized Africa", "Interconnected Africa", "Bumper Harvest Africa", "Digital Africa", "Green Africa", "Safe Africa" and "Inventing and Innovative Africa". We will strengthen coordination in international affairs to bring benefits to the two peoples, jointly work for a fairer and more equitable international order, and continue to enrich the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership.

30. We express gratitude to H.E.Mr. WANG Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs and H.E.Mr.WANG Wentao, Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and H.E.Ms. Aissata Tall SALL, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad and H.E.Mr. Amadou HOTT, Minister of Economy, Planning and International Cooperation of the Republic of Senegal for co-chairing the Eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference.

31. We express gratitude to the government and people of the Republic of Senegal for the warm hospitality and excellent facilitation during the conference.

32. The Ninth FOCAC Ministerial Conference will be held in the People's Republic of China in 2024.