On August 29th, Development Reimagined together with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) hosted a webinar on Reimagining the Current Global Governance System to Work for Africa and Prospects for China-Africa Cooperation at CCG headquarters in Beijing. The event had a stellar lineup of African and Chinese experts and was moderated by our CEO Hannah Ryder with Sena Voncujovi, our Africa-China policy analyst MCing the event.
Mr. Mike Liu, Vice President of CCG opened the event by giving an overview of the objective of the discussion which is to see how China-Africa cooperation can play a more impactful role in global governance. Mr. Liu reminded the audience that it has been 3 years since the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 which spans areas of trade, poverty reduction, investment, and more and has allowed China to remain Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years.
Dr. Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) spoke on the three key pillars that African Ministers of Finance push for at the international level. Firstly, infrastructure development is essential for creating long-term impact across African nations. She highlighted the importance of integrating African countries into broader development frameworks to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) while aligning with national capabilities and goals. Secondly, she highlighted the importance of an efficient debt negotiation framework. The G20 Common Framework tries to address gaps in the global system and Dr. Morsy expressed confidence in China’s continued role within this framework. Lastly, Dr. Morsy stressed African voices and representation in global governments, urging for a system that unites African countries and amplifies their collective impact.
Mr. Gou Haodong, Former Deputy Representative of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, and CCG Senior Research Fellow reflecting on his 14 years of experience living in Africa, emphasized the importance of people-to-people exchanges and public diplomacy in China-Africa relations. While economic cooperation and high-level engagements are often prioritized, he noted that mutual understanding and goodwill between the people of both regions are equally crucial. Mr Gou shared two positive examples – the release of TV show Welcome to Milele about Chinese medical team to Africa and the visit to Africa by Nobel prize laureate Mo Yan and the call for mutual exchange among the literature community
Ambassador Lynette Mwende Ndile, Deputy Head of Mission at the Kenyan Embassy in Beijing spoke about how Kenya is championing global financial architecture reforms and underscored the need for a united African front and the need for a fit-for-purpose finance model. Amb. Ndile also spoke on the Nairobi Declaration being the basis for a unified African position and to restructure the financial system there needs to be strong mechanisms put in place to rectify Africa’s systematic marginalization. In terms of global governance, she cited President William Ruto’s constant message that within the process of reform Africa should not be seen as a victim but as part of the solution.
Mr. Ma Jianchun former Director-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, and former Ambassador to the Chinese Embassy in Gambia reiterated Ambassador Ndile’s point that African countries are part of the solution and stressed that each African country has their individual needs and priorities, especially least developed countries. He acknowledged Africa’s need for funding and the call for significant reform of the Washington Consensus system, while also suggested African nations could also explore alternative frameworks where developing countries create their own financial structures and solutions rather than waiting for reforms from existing systems, for example the BRICS. Mr. Ma also stressed that African countries have just started their development journey and economic development needs to be the main priority as it has the potential to strengthen Africa’s role in the global governance system
Ms. Faten Aggad, Executive Director of African Future Policies Hub, and former Senior Advisor to the African Union High Representative spoke on the launch of a new report on multilateralism released on the patronage of the President of Namibia. Ms. Aggad shared some of the main takeaways from the report discussions. Firstly, Ms. Aggad addressed the need for United Nations Security Council reform which should goes beyond simply increasing the number of African representation. There should also be a focus on whether the Security Council can address economic challenges and support African countries in this regard. Secondly, on the topic of international financial structures, she drew a connection between these systems and climate change. While it is important to address numbers like quotas and seats, Ms. Aggad argued that African nations require substantial representation in these financial systems, enabling them to have a real influence on decision-making, not just token inclusion. She also discussed the need to reform the G20 Common Framework, in particular, the establishment of a panel to review the application of the framework and understand its failures. Finally, Ms. Aggad emphasized the need to avoid prematurely abandoning or underfunding projects. Recognizing the diverse development stages across African nations, she stressed that financial systems must offer tailored solutions that cater to each country’s unique needs. She agreed with previous speakers that financing should not be limited to traditional avenues, advocating for the use of institutions like the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which have already made significant commitments,
Mr. HAN Bing, Former Minister Commercial Counselor at the Embassy of Egypt and former Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Embassies of Zimbabwe noted that the achievements of China-Africa cooperation have drawn the world’s attention to Africa, resulting in numerous countries establishing dialogue mechanisms with the continent, such as the United States, EU, Japan, South Korea and others. He stressed that these various mechanisms could foster a spirit of cooperation rather than confrontation. “Western media” often frame these forums as mechanisms aimed at countering China-Africa cooperation, and such a mindset should be changed. He believes these mechanisms should collaborate to support Africa’s development through financial and technical assistance. He reaffirmed China’s openness to collaborating with other countries on projects that can contribute to Africa’s growth and development.
Mr. Saliem Fakir, Executive Director at the African Climate Foundation reminded the audience that China has historically been an important partner for developing countries and Africa’s development path is not just about economic revival but also about tackling climate issues and more specifically green industrial development. He stressed that Africa, amid global shifts, needs a more diverse, equitable, and multipolar multilateral system. He urged African countries to use key milestones, such as UNSC reform, to push for Africa’s better representation and influence, though progress on these long-discussed issues has been slow.
He also pointed out that Africa’s reform agenda should go beyond current topics, focusing on future-oriented reforms such as those concerning the UN’s structure and climate frameworks.
For the continent improved access to energy and cheap sources of electrification is critical for scaling up technology in Africa and ensuring that Africa can integrate into the global market. Mr. Fakir also highlighted the need for reform in the international financial structure, drawing from his recent experience at a meeting where he observed progress in areas such as transportation and carbon tax implementation. However, he cautioned that carbon taxes can have far-reaching consequences on global finance, trade, and geopolitics, and called for clear roadmaps to address these challenges.
Dr. Tang Xiaoyang, Chair in the Department of International Relations, Tsinghua University; and former Consultant for the World Bank, UNDP, and USAID stressed the importance of working with new institutions such as BRICS countries to reimagine development which are expanding to include African countries. Prof. Tang pointed to emerging structures, such as the BRICS and G20, as potential platforms for change, encouraging the strengthening of these newer institutions alongside efforts to reform existing ones. He emphasized that these emerging frameworks could drive significant future shifts and transformations, particularly in the Global South. He noted that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is capable of addressing a broad range of issues beyond bilateral relations, and offering valuable insights on how countries can collaborate to address challenges facing the developing world.
Mr. Creck Buyonge Mirito, the CEO of Customs & International Trade Associates (CITA) Ltd, and former Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Legislation spoke about the role of the African Free Continental Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key framework and guide for trade activities in the continent and the need for African institutions and scholars to play a greater role in African trade with a greater focus on agriculture and minerals. Mr Mirito stressed that intra-African trade remains underdeveloped. To address this, there is a need to build research capacity, strengthen institutional frameworks, and improve cross-border regulations to enhance trade between African countries He also emphasized the importance of trade integration reforms, which have faced challenges due to the diverse systems across African countries, making unified cooperation difficult. In addition, he touched on discussions at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, noting that African countries should receive differentiated treatment based on their unique strengths, particularly in agriculture and natural resources. Agreements on Sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) have become more significant for African nations’ agricultural trade.
Prof. Emmanuel Mutisya, Chairman of Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST) pointed out that the reforms should be goal-oriented and aimed at promoting peace and development, with a focus on sustainable and inclusive growth, particularly in education and cultural development. He stressed the need for unified international governance structures that reflect the demands of both Africa and the Global South, advocating for Africa’s increased participation and influence in global systems, beyond just representation. These reforms intend to address challenges that transcend national borders and require collective solutions.
During the Q&A session, Mr. Min Hao, CCG Senior Council Member and Chairman of SECURAM Systems Inc. shared insights from an industry perspective. Drawing from his experience as a member of various standard committees in Europe, China, and the U.S., he highlighted that industrial standards must be established early on. The lack of a unified standard led to significant costs and inefficiencies during later stages of industry development. He suggested that China and Africa could collaborate more closely on standardization, possibly by establishing permanent committees or a China-Africa Standardization Forum.
Listen to the full event in English here and in Chinese here.
