Portuguese-speaking African nations look eastward

China has been using three very important instruments of foreign policy — forums, partnerships and global initiatives — to deepen relations with countries. The Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, held in Beijing in September, has probably been the most important event of the year diplomatically speaking, as it represented a combination of all these instruments.

Also, China and the African countries agreed to work together to take 10 partnership actions for modernization and to deepen China-Africa cooperation in the next three years, as well as spearhead the modernization of the Global South.

In the 24 years since its establishment, the FOCAC has undergone transformational changes for four reasons because China, unlike other major powers, has advanced bilateral relations with 53 African states; has been consistently offering to African countries a comprehensive development program of action based on fairness, justice, openness, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, inclusiveness, and people-first and eco-friendly principles; was the first to offer African states a global vision; and is the first global power to deal with African states as partners, not less- or least-developed countries.

China has always pursued a "nonaligned" foreign policy, establishing different types of partnerships with countries around the world, and continuously upgrading and strengthening these partnerships. The reports of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 through to the 20th CPC National Congress in 2022 have emphasized that it is necessary to establish a new type of global development partnership, develop global partnerships and deepen and expand global partnerships, reflecting the importance China attaches to partnerships in its foreign policy.

Among the countries that have established partnerships with China, the percentage of countries of the Global South is overwhelming — slightly more than 70 percent.

This year has seen remarkable improvement in relations between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa. In March and May, China upgraded its relations with Angola and Equatorial Guinea to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. In July, it established a strategic partnership with Guinea-Bissau.

During the FOCAC Summit in Beijing, China established a strategic partnership with Cabo Verde and upgraded its partnership with São Tomé and Príncipe to a strategic partnership. And Mozambique established a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China way back in 2016. The leaders of both Mozambique and China said they hoped to take the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (in 2025) to further advance their bilateral engagement and deepen their existing partnership.

China has established partnerships with all Portuguese-speaking countries, all at the level of strategic relations.

Cabo Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe are Portuguese-speaking small island developing countries. While they have natural advantages in tourism, agriculture and fisheries, they also face challenges from climate change and find it difficult to pursue sustainable development. The Beijing Declaration on Jointly Building an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era urges the international community to accommodate and take seriously the particularities of developing countries, including African countries, and place equal importance on small island countries and landlocked developing countries.

China engages with all African countries as "partners", not as poor countries. In particular, China recognizes the economic vulnerability of small island countries, and is open to exploring their potential in bilateral, trilateral and multilateral cooperation initiatives.

The consistency of China's contribution to development, the number and types of partnerships, including the ties with Portuguese-speaking countries, and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, along with the Belt and Road Initiative, are a game changer in the South-South relations. These initiatives reinforce national development plans, promote regional integration and facilitate higher-level trade flows between China, Africa and the Global South.

Francisco Leandro is an associate professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences and deputy director of the Institute of Global and Public Affairs at University of Macau, China; and Li Yichao is an assistant research fellow at the Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, China.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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