How China-Africa partnership spurs Global South modernization

TOWARD A STRONGER GLOBAL SOUTH

Recently, Hunan International Business Vocational College received a letter from Abreham Yimer Abate, chief executive of Woreda (district) 05 of Dire Dawa City, Ethiopia, expressing his wish to return to China for further studies this year.

In 2023, Abate traveled to China to attend a training program in China's Southern Hunan province. During his visit, he toured Shibadong Village, widely recognized as the birthplace of the concept of "targeted poverty alleviation."

He learned that Xi had conducted on-site research there and proposed development strategies tailored to the village's specific situation and challenges.

Abate observed how the once-impoverished mountain community achieved a dramatic transformation through green development suited to local conditions. Deeply impressed by China's poverty alleviation drive, he said he believes that China's experience offers "practical insights that can be adapted and applied."

After returning home, Abate tried to help communities long affected by poverty to improve their lives by using experience he learned in the Chinese Village.

Every visit to China offers him fresh ideas for addressing development challenges, he said.

Abate's story reflects how China's approaches and practices in tackling poverty reduction and promoting inclusive development have inspired African countries as they explore their own paths of development.

In December last year, the China-Kenya Readers Forum on "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" took place in Nairobi, Kenya, and a promotional event for the English edition of the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" was held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Maropene Ramokgopa, South African Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, said the book covers key areas, including China's modernization path, the fight against poverty, global development cooperation and technological innovation, among others.

It offers a valuable window for the Global South into how China interprets and responds to global challenges, she noted.

Currently, China is going all out to build a great modern socialist country in all respects and pursue national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization. Africa is also making steady progress toward the modernization goals set out in the African Union's Agenda 2063.

Along the journey toward modernization, China and Africa are learning from each other, generating a mighty force of solidarity, self-reliance and shared development across the Global South.

Humphrey Moshi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, said that China-Africa cooperation is an important practice in strengthening the representation of Global South countries and fostering unity and self-reliance.

Through equal consultation and mutually beneficial cooperation, China and Africa are jointly promoting the transformation of the Global South from passive participants to makers of rules, which holds significant importance for improving the global governance system, he added.