African leaders must pursue bold agenda

Ugandans will notice the timely coincidence of the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing and the recent opening of China Town in Kampala. The excitement around the new store and its cheap merchandise highlights the potential benefits of Sino-African relations.

However, it’s crucial to acknowledge the existing trade imbalance, which requires attention from both the Chinese and African nations in order to improve the relations between the two parties.

African nations export raw materials to China, contributing to a significant trade deficit because we exports less processed goods to the Asian country. The Asian powerhouse, and the world’s second largest economy after America, has a trade imbalance with our region that was estimated at $64.1 billion as of 2023. To address this, we need purposeful bilateral agreements and a focus on industrialisation.

China’s Africa Strategy, launched in 2006, aims to empower African nations through partnership.

While there are positives, the approach can be improved in many ways than one.

As well as pushing for purposeful bilateral agreements, African nations should also entertain the idea of working towards self-sufficiency. By now the guished realisation of the raw deal they get from exporting raw materials to many countries, including Europe and the Americas, should have compelled the aforesaid nations to work feverishly to ensure that lightning does not strike twice.

As African leaders gather in Beijing, we urge them to prioritise arrangements that promote industrialisation and balanced partnerships. We urge African nations to push for clear commitments from China on industrialisation support.

This will ensure mutual benefits and sustainable growth for all parties involved.

No nation has ever developed when it is devoid of an industrialisation agenda.

In an era where the world is moving fast in the technology space, with China reputed for having advanced technology in many fields, African leaders should use the opportunity to ask China for technology transfer and support so that we use it for economic development.

Relatedly, what initiatives will China undertake to enhance the capacity of African nations in areas like education, health[1]care, and even governance? Our leaders need to put this on the table, too, so that citizens that have picked the bills for their travel see value for money.

Africa also faces numerous challenges in infrastructure, climate change, environmental degradation, and poor investment arrangements. China has over the years shown progress in this sector and it only makes sense to ask for cooperation on it. Will African leaders use the summit to address this? Lastly, we urge the men and women in Beijing to put in place mechanisms to ensure mutual accountability and transparency in China-Africa cooperation.

Otherwise, we wish all those in the Chinese capital the best and only ask them to mean business