Beijing: China has expressed its readiness to collaborate with Africa to counter hegemonism, unilateralism, and protectionism while promoting the collective rights of the Global South. Xue Bing, China’s Special Envoy for Horn of Africa Affairs, highlighted this commitment during a seminar at China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU) in Beijing.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the seminar, themed ‘Building China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,’ was attended by African diplomats in China and a delegation of heads from African diplomatic academies. Xue emphasized the crucial role of young diplomats in fostering a shared future and described the China-Africa friendship as a robust support system for generations of diplomatic aspirations. He stressed the importance of cooperation between China and Africa in addressing development challenges and narrowing the global development gap.
Xue advocated for an equal and orderly multipolar world founded on international rules, upheld jointly by China and Africa under the UN charter. He called for a commitment to multilateralism and an international system reflecting equity, fairness, and mutual respect. Amid rising global uncertainties, he urged the pursuit of true multilateralism and a just global governance system to tackle the world’s shared challenges. Xue warned against hegemony enforced through threats or tariffs, which he argued undermines legitimate interests, violates WTO rules, and weakens the multilateral trading system.
Ambassador Wang Shihting, CPC Committee Secretary of CFAU, encouraged nations to learn from World War II and promote global justice and peace. Wang noted that 2025, marking 80 years since the war’s end, is an opportune moment to reflect and advocate for fairness and peace in global affairs. He highlighted China’s initiatives, such as the Belt and Road and the global development plan, as pathways to collective global progress. Wang also mentioned the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, underscoring shared goals of modernization and building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.
Wang emphasized CFAU’s significant role, noting that it is the only university directly under China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and part of the ‘Double First-Class’ initiative. Founded in 1955, CFAU trains top-tier diplomatic talents with multidisciplinary expertise for China’s foreign service and international engagement. Wang shared that CFAU has partnerships with 182 universities in 73 countries and aims to strengthen links with African institutions. He stressed the importance of young diplomats in supporting peace and sustainable development amid complex global tensions.
Ambassador Vuyelwa Maud Dlomo of South Africa commended CFAU for hosting the China-Africa diplomatic academy forum as part of WWII anniversary events. She emphasized the importance of prioritizing solidarity, equality, and sustainability in building a fairer global system. Dlomo stated that these values are crucial for overcoming barriers hindering the Global South’s development and progress. She affirmed that Africa and China are vital partners in creating a shared, prosperous future for all nations and highlighted the need for cooperation to address global challenges, as success is never achieved in isolation. Dlomo urged for robust support for multilateralism and global governance institutions as foundations of global peace and prosperity.