By John Azu
Chinese President Xi Jinping has outlined a four-point plan to strengthen Africa’s control over its mineral resources, promote local processing and encourage African-led solutions to regional conflicts.
Xi presented the framework while receiving Botswana’s President, Duma Gideon Boko, and Togo’s President of the Council of Ministers, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, in Beijing on Tuesday.
During his meeting with Boko, Xi said the principles would guide China-Botswana and broader China-Africa cooperation in the mining sector.
He said the first principle was to ensure that African resources benefit Africans, adding that China would share its experience and help African countries develop mining plans suited to their national conditions.
The second principle, he said, was to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation by encouraging Chinese companies to strengthen their operational capacity, transfer green technologies adapted to African conditions and promote South-South cooperation in mining development.
Xi said the third principle was to promote high-quality development by shifting China-Africa mining cooperation towards industrial value addition, exploring affordable and sustainable financing models, and supporting Africa’s modernisation through high-standard cooperation.
On the fourth principle, Xi stressed the need for a fair and open environment for cooperation, warning against the use of Africa’s mineral resources as instruments of geopolitical rivalry.
“Africa’s resources should not be used for geopolitical rivalry,” he said, adding that China welcomed genuine support from other countries for Africa’s development and was ready to work with African nations to improve conditions for business investment and operations.
In his meeting with Gnassingbé, Xi outlined another four-point framework for addressing conflicts and other pressing security challenges across Africa.
The first principle, he said, was to ensure that solutions remained African-led, stressing that African people were the rightful masters of their continent and should play a central role in regional affairs.
The second was to uphold fairness and justice, with all parties adhering to the principles of the United Nations Charter and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries concerned.
Xi identified the third principle as promoting an end to hostilities and advancing peace through dialogue.
“Wars and unilateral sanctions cannot fundamentally resolve conflicts between countries,” he said, calling for mutual respect, extensive consultations, common ground and a willingness to accommodate differences.
The fourth principle, he said, was to address both the immediate manifestations and underlying causes of conflicts by tackling urgent security concerns while planning for long-term development.
The proposals reflect Beijing’s stated approach to strengthening economic cooperation with African countries while advocating diplomatic solutions to the continent’s security challenges.