Meeting looks for paths to prosperity

China and African countries will continue to share experiences in state governance while exploring development paths suited to their national circumstances to achieve modernization and prosperity, participants said during a high-level meeting at the 2024 FOCAC Summit in Beijing on Thursday.

Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said China and African countries should support each other in exploring development paths suited to their unique situations.

Pursuing an independent path of development is the right choice for developing countries seeking modernization, Zhao said during the meeting.

"We should emphasize self-reliant development, learning from the beneficial experiences of other countries' modernization efforts while focusing on exploring paths that align with our own conditions," he said.

Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda, said effective state governance has been a key contributor to China's global economic achievements.

"China has a strong desire for shared development with other nations based on mutual respect and common interest," Kagame said at the meeting.

China's experiences in poverty alleviation and technology adoption have provided lessons for accelerating modernization efforts in Rwanda, he said.

Kagame said there is no one-size-fits-all approach to governance, and each country must search for its own path that aligns with its unique context, history and mode of operation.

Mohamed Ali Nafti, Tunisia's minister of foreign affairs, migration and Tunisians abroad, said China has shown the world a unique form of state governance, and its development path could suit different areas in African countries.

"We can learn from each other in terms of development projects," Nafti told media representatives before the meeting. "We have felt the determination from the Chinese leadership in further developing the partnership."

Governance is a universal technique, and each country has its own means and tools to ensure the best practices, he said, adding that "the most important thing is to grow hand-in-hand toward prosperity and a better future".

Frederick Makamure Shava, Zimbabwe's foreign affairs minister, said the meeting was a good opportunity for China and African countries to exchange experiences on state governance.

"We are able to share the way China is advancing its own statecraft and what African countries can learn from that," Shava said.

China and Africa have established an equal and "mutually beneficial" relationship and are cooperating to achieve a "win-win deal", he added.

China's efforts in developing new forms of energy and building related infrastructure were a particular focus at the summit for Sylvie Baipo Temon, foreign affairs minister of the Central African Republic.

China is supporting her country in harnessing solar energy and developing agriculture, with "a lot of new projects in process", she said.

Youlouka Luc Damiba, special adviser to the prime minister of Burkina Faso, said the development of agriculture and the space industry are important symbols of modernization in African countries.

China has been selling modern agricultural machinery and sending grain experts to support Burkina Faso's agricultural modernization, Damiba said.

Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Djibouti's finance minister, said he expects more connectivity, not only in trade, but also in "people-to-people exchanges to bring China and Africa closer".

zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn