Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC); is an official forum between the People's Republic of China and the states in Africa. There have been four summits held to date, with the most recent meeting having occurred from November 8 to 9, 2009 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Previous summits were held in October 2000 in Beijing, December 2003 in Addis Ababa, and November 2006 in Beijing.
In order to further strengthen the friendly cooperation between China and Africa under the new circumstances, to jointly meet the challenge of economic globalization and to promote common development, and in light of suggestions of some African countries, the Chinese Government made the proposal on the convocation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation---Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000, which was positively responded to by the vast number of African countries.
The fifth ministerial meeting of the FOCAC will be held in 2012 in Beijing
Member States:
China
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central Africa
Chad
Comoros
Congo (B)
Congo (DRC)
Cote d'Ivoire
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Seychelles
Senegal
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Characteristics of FOCAC:
The Forum on China-Africa Co-operation is a platform established by China and friendly African countries for collective consultation and dialogue and a cooperation mechanism between the developing countries, which falls into the category of South-South cooperation. The characteristics of the Forum are as follows:
• Pragmatic Cooperation: Its purpose is to strengthen consultation and expand cooperation and its focus is on cooperation.
• Equality and Mutual Benefit: It promotes both political dialogue and economic cooperation and trade, with a view to seeking mutual reinforcement and common development.
Establishment of Follow-up Mechanisms:
The "Programme for China-Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social Development" stipulates that the two sides agree to set up joint follow-up mechanisms at various levels. Under these mechanisms, the ministers will meet in three years' time to evaluate progress in the implementation of the Programme, senior officials in two years' time and ambassadors to China on a regular basis. The Senior Officials Meetings and the Ministerial Conferences will be convened alternately in China and Africa within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Soon after the first Ministerial Conference, the Chinese side established the Follow-up Committee of FOCAC. Some African countries also established corresponding follow-up mechanisms.
2009, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt Ministerial Conference:
The fourth ministerial meeting of the FOCAC was held at Soho-Square, in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on 8 to 9 November 2009. The meeting reviewed how the consensus of the Beijing Summit has been implemented. It also adopted a Sharm el-Sheikh declaration and an action plan for 2010–2012 to chart the path for further China–Africa cooperation.
A $10 billion low cost loan was announced on November 9, 2009, double the $5 billion loan announced and implemented at the 2006 Beijing Summit.A 1 billion U.S. dollar special loan for small and medium-sized African businesses was also established.China also announced eight new policy measures aimed at strengthening relations with Africa were "more focused on improving people's livelihoods".Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, announced that China will write off the debt of some of the poorest African nations. He said China will construct 100 new clean-energy projects on the continent covering solar power, bio-gas and small hydro-power and gradually lower customs duties on 95 percent of products from African states with which it has diplomatic ties. He also stated that China would undertake 100 joint demonstration projects on scientific and technological research, receive 100 African postdoctoral fellows to conduct scientific research in China and assist them in going back and serving their home countries. The number of agricultural technology demonstration centers built by China in Africa will be increased to 20, 50 agricultural technology teams would be sent to Africa and 2,000 agricultural technology personnel would be trained for Africa, in order to help strengthen Africa's ability to ensure food security.
China also will provide medical equipment and anti-malaria materials worth 500 million yuan to the 30 hospitals and 30 malaria prevention and treatment centers built by China and train 3,000 doctors and nurses for Africa. Wen further stated that China will build 50 China–Africa friendship schools and train 1,500 school principals and teachers for African countries and increase the number of Chinese government scholarships to Africa to 5,500 by 2012. China will also train a total of 20,000 professionals of various fields for Africa over the next three years.
