CGTN Europe interviewed Alex Vines, Director of the Africa Programme at Chatham House
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00:00Well, for decades, China and Africa have benefited from strong diplomatic and economic relations.
00:06China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years now.
00:11Trade volume between China and the African continent has been steadily increasing year
00:15on year.
00:16In 2023, it has a record of more than $282 billion, while China has also implemented
00:23a zero tariff policy for 33 of the least developed countries.
00:27It's a move designed to significantly boost opportunities for African businesses targeting
00:32the Chinese market.
00:34And by the end of 2023, China's direct investment in Africa exceeded $40 billion, making it
00:40one of the major sources of inward foreign investment.
00:43Alex Vines is the director of the Africa program at Chatham House, a think tank in London.
00:5035 years consecutive visits by Chinese foreign ministers.
00:54So foreign minister Wang Yi follows a long tradition now, 35 years.
00:59And it's a recognition of China that the African continent, which is over 50 members in the
01:06UN General Assembly, is really important for global governance and for voting.
01:13And originally, it was the African vote and support that moved the UN Security Council
01:19seat to Beijing from Taipei.
01:23So China has recognized the importance of Africa and has been very consistent ever since.
01:29I mean, you won't find any other foreign minister consistently going to the African continent
01:35annually in the way that the Chinese foreign ministers have been doing for the last 35
01:40years.
01:41Indeed, so a real priority for Chinese foreign policy.
01:44Why were Namibia, the Republic of Congo, Chad and Nigeria selected for this specific trip
01:49to Africa?
01:51Yeah, there's a bit of a carousel here where China kind of moves around between English-speaking
01:58countries and French-speaking ones.
02:02And then for particular reasons, certain countries are chosen.
02:06So Namibia has already just had an election.
02:08There's a new president there.
02:09So that's, I think, one of the reasons why Namibia is on the list.
02:13The Republic of Congo is interesting.
02:15And I think your viewers should realize for two reasons, I think, that Congo and Brazzaville
02:22was chosen.
02:23The first is it's the 60th anniversary of China-Republic of Congo relations that was
02:28celebrated at the end of last year.
02:31But I think that's an important benchmark.
02:33And the second, which is equally important, is that the Republic of Congo has just taken
02:38over to be co-chair of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation in its next cycle, FOCAC, with
02:45China.
02:46And so for those two reasons, I think Brazzaville was chosen.
02:49Nigeria, well, I mean, it's the most populous country in Africa.
02:53It will be the most populated, fifth largest country in the world by 2050.
03:00And relations between China and Nigeria are robust and complex.
03:05And then finally, Chad, I think, is an important visit because France, which has been very
03:12close partner to Chad, withdrew its troops and closed its base there at the end of last
03:19year, so just a few days ago.
03:22And the Chadians are looking to diversify their security partnerships and probably will
03:26be looking to China as part of that.
03:29So it's an example of multi-polarity, I think.
03:33Diplomatically, what do you think will be the key wins for Wang Yi?
03:38Well, so China is arguing that there needs to be more general and multi-polarity in the
03:46world, that the global governance system has been too dominated by Western countries and
03:52therefore biased. And so it's a numbers game.
03:55I mean, you have 55 countries registered at the African Union and that really matters.
04:04And so I do think, therefore, getting African support or buy-in to some of the visions that
04:12China has for the future is clearly a foreign policy priority.