A large portion of the world was focused on Beijing the past several days where the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was taking place, which in its own way was just as important an event as the Eastern Economic Forum that just concluded.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the foundational processes for industrializing get laid out, particularly as plentiful energy, water, transport networks in conjunction with appropriate educational and vocational education structures. There could even be something for those in the west to learn as they are rapidly de-industrializing and look to lose many skills.
Thanks for this - it is globally important stuff repaying the effort needed to ingest it.
“China is ready to help Africa improve its capacity in safeguarding peace and stability independently”: could be paraphrased as “get rid of hegemonic military forces from their homelands, including international imperialism and economic and financial belligerence”.
Recall that African countries have been in the vanguard of counter-imperialism, installing home-grown socialist governance, only to be thwarted by anglo-american-european forces of old imperialism, which destroyed their revolutions, notably in Nkruma’s Ghana which was leading towards a pan-African socialist collective, and a West African economic union, actively supported by the then Soviet Union. Nkruma was deposed (the modern term is ‘regime-changed’) while on a trip to China to forward just such international cooperation that Xi is espousing. Other socialist leaders were assassinated (for instance Lumumba, Ghadafi) especially when they were being successful in rendering their countries self-ruled and progressively self-developed.
Chinese authorities used the word ‘deepen’ a lot, as in “deepening reform comprehensively”. What the abstract, rhetorical, metaphorical term indicates is opaque. However, what Xi describes as “ten Partnership actions” are all people-to-people’, rather than ‘government-to-government’ - real continuing multiple particular interactions rather than singular conceptual generalities. So the antonym ‘shallow’ would indicate abstract events only at a higher notional level of society.
This is diplomacy through gift, as oppose to the Western practice of diplomacy through coercion and debt, a revolution in international interactions and relationships. It resonates with Michael Hudson’s debt forgivenesses from bronze age societies, and the giving-back potlatch practices in some indigenous communities.
“results-oriented cooperation” is congruent with the ‘action research’ style of implementing commissioned development projects, where the planned intentions are continuously modified according to the degree and nature of their intermediate achievements, how the along the way targets are being met, rather than the Western-style ‘dead reckoning’ navigation of aspirations.
I see "deepening" as expanding or widening and agree with the rest of your comment.
The Empire hoped to sap Russian strength in Ukraine so it could proceed in Africa, but the opposite's occurring as Russian diplomacy is winning. Add China's policy and a very different "scramble for Africa" will now ensue. The weakening of France by the Empire's actions will also have an affect.
Karl thank you for this report - I am working my way through the documents produced
This is China, and so Africa gets the full document treatment
A massive amount has been produced, both multilateral and bi lateral
Even to skim these to produce précis or snapshots would hardly do justice the armies of China diplomats involved one may say for many years to construct definitive and carefully negotiated agreements
Including many with supposely US centric countries - debt relief for Ghana, a security alliance with Rwanda hitherto known to most as the owner of a CIA created régime
In Africa, the U.S. leaders landed at the airport built by China, drove on the road built by China, and spoke in a building built by China, to tell African people not to work with China ..
Sometimes it's more polite and honest to say no, we don't need your advice before such creatures land in your country instead of letting them visit then trying to figure out a way to politely shoo them away.
This is quite a long post as there are some chunks of China documents reproduced, as Karl does, with only a brief introduction
China FOCAC Feedback #1 The Declaration of Peace
This is China, and so Africa gets the document treatment
A massive amount has been produced, both multilateral and bi lateral
Even to skim these to produce précis’s or snapshots would hardly to justice the massive armies of China and Africa diplomats involved one may say for many years to construct definitive and carefully negotiated agreements
This is without doubt opening up the Africa Front in a concerted and multipolar way, to match and complement the various persistent RF policies and initiatives
To take one example: Libya: Russia stabilises one party of the divided state, China the other, each in their different ways
This is the Declaration of Peace – if it is not too hyperbolic to name such a knockout statement of general and specific peaceful reconstruction alliance and general security programs
This is the unification of Africa, one currency union, the riddance for francophone Africa of the colonial money dregs, the expulsion of the last grips of the USEU colonialists, the restoration of the old underlying community of spirit
It is intended as all encompassing and extends the ambition to the industrialisation of Africa, as well as realistic food security agriculture which can arrest over destructive urbanisation and retain the collective traditions that in some cases go back to the dawn of the human
Africa now has the same population as China, but is the only place in the world where population is steadily growing, projections speak of 2.5B very soon
This indicates that by industrialising Africa, China can take further steps up the production level ladder, with lesser concern perhaps for their own low birth rates, and to correct, maybe, some of the mistakes the CPC has maybe made over the last 100 years – the one child policy to name but one
And relieves China of the need to modernise USEU
Here is a first batch of links and quotes
To sum up the documents and their achievements will take some time
Many thanks for your work here. Africans will need to escalate their efforts at self-protection by passing strict foreign agent laws like the one Georgia did recently and reject US/EU aid efforts as destabilizing. Further, repudiation of dollarized debts as odious would be the greatest challenge Africans can foment against Imperialism along with the vestiges of French monetary imperialism.
Yes - but the US and France is now very weak, either soft or hard, especially weak hard
China military attachés everywhere, Russian military forces in the crucial states, and general social economic collapse in the two mainstays of US influence, Nigeria and Kenya...
China seems to have come up an answer to the US debt trap policies - with Ghana for example, although I admit I can not understand much of these financials
I have read reports that China suggests that Cjhina recyle it's US dollar surplus though Africa to pay off African $ debts and swap for RMB
This seems about as elegant a solution as can be imagined - but some one with more skill than I would have to comment on this
I'm looking forward to seeing how the foundational processes for industrializing get laid out, particularly as plentiful energy, water, transport networks in conjunction with appropriate educational and vocational education structures. There could even be something for those in the west to learn as they are rapidly de-industrializing and look to lose many skills.
How exciting!
Yes. It's invigorating. I have some African subscribers that I hope will comment on this.
Thanks for this - it is globally important stuff repaying the effort needed to ingest it.
“China is ready to help Africa improve its capacity in safeguarding peace and stability independently”: could be paraphrased as “get rid of hegemonic military forces from their homelands, including international imperialism and economic and financial belligerence”.
Recall that African countries have been in the vanguard of counter-imperialism, installing home-grown socialist governance, only to be thwarted by anglo-american-european forces of old imperialism, which destroyed their revolutions, notably in Nkruma’s Ghana which was leading towards a pan-African socialist collective, and a West African economic union, actively supported by the then Soviet Union. Nkruma was deposed (the modern term is ‘regime-changed’) while on a trip to China to forward just such international cooperation that Xi is espousing. Other socialist leaders were assassinated (for instance Lumumba, Ghadafi) especially when they were being successful in rendering their countries self-ruled and progressively self-developed.
Chinese authorities used the word ‘deepen’ a lot, as in “deepening reform comprehensively”. What the abstract, rhetorical, metaphorical term indicates is opaque. However, what Xi describes as “ten Partnership actions” are all people-to-people’, rather than ‘government-to-government’ - real continuing multiple particular interactions rather than singular conceptual generalities. So the antonym ‘shallow’ would indicate abstract events only at a higher notional level of society.
This is diplomacy through gift, as oppose to the Western practice of diplomacy through coercion and debt, a revolution in international interactions and relationships. It resonates with Michael Hudson’s debt forgivenesses from bronze age societies, and the giving-back potlatch practices in some indigenous communities.
“results-oriented cooperation” is congruent with the ‘action research’ style of implementing commissioned development projects, where the planned intentions are continuously modified according to the degree and nature of their intermediate achievements, how the along the way targets are being met, rather than the Western-style ‘dead reckoning’ navigation of aspirations.
I see "deepening" as expanding or widening and agree with the rest of your comment.
The Empire hoped to sap Russian strength in Ukraine so it could proceed in Africa, but the opposite's occurring as Russian diplomacy is winning. Add China's policy and a very different "scramble for Africa" will now ensue. The weakening of France by the Empire's actions will also have an affect.
Karl thank you for this report - I am working my way through the documents produced
This is China, and so Africa gets the full document treatment
A massive amount has been produced, both multilateral and bi lateral
Even to skim these to produce précis or snapshots would hardly do justice the armies of China diplomats involved one may say for many years to construct definitive and carefully negotiated agreements
Including many with supposely US centric countries - debt relief for Ghana, a security alliance with Rwanda hitherto known to most as the owner of a CIA created régime
I'll post something later if I may
Please do provide more feedback.
Thank you Karl I will try...but you have seen the mountains of materials....oof
I posted your link to your Far Eastern Reports on S who mentioned the EEE and Vladivostok in his latest
Thank you,
https://x.com/Jingjing_Li/status/1831514599243567350?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
In Africa, the U.S. leaders landed at the airport built by China, drove on the road built by China, and spoke in a building built by China, to tell African people not to work with China ..
Sometimes it's more polite and honest to say no, we don't need your advice before such creatures land in your country instead of letting them visit then trying to figure out a way to politely shoo them away.
This is quite a long post as there are some chunks of China documents reproduced, as Karl does, with only a brief introduction
China FOCAC Feedback #1 The Declaration of Peace
This is China, and so Africa gets the document treatment
A massive amount has been produced, both multilateral and bi lateral
Even to skim these to produce précis’s or snapshots would hardly to justice the massive armies of China and Africa diplomats involved one may say for many years to construct definitive and carefully negotiated agreements
This is without doubt opening up the Africa Front in a concerted and multipolar way, to match and complement the various persistent RF policies and initiatives
To take one example: Libya: Russia stabilises one party of the divided state, China the other, each in their different ways
This is the Declaration of Peace – if it is not too hyperbolic to name such a knockout statement of general and specific peaceful reconstruction alliance and general security programs
This is the unification of Africa, one currency union, the riddance for francophone Africa of the colonial money dregs, the expulsion of the last grips of the USEU colonialists, the restoration of the old underlying community of spirit
It is intended as all encompassing and extends the ambition to the industrialisation of Africa, as well as realistic food security agriculture which can arrest over destructive urbanisation and retain the collective traditions that in some cases go back to the dawn of the human
Africa now has the same population as China, but is the only place in the world where population is steadily growing, projections speak of 2.5B very soon
This indicates that by industrialising Africa, China can take further steps up the production level ladder, with lesser concern perhaps for their own low birth rates, and to correct, maybe, some of the mistakes the CPC has maybe made over the last 100 years – the one child policy to name but one
And relieves China of the need to modernise USEU
Here is a first batch of links and quotes
To sum up the documents and their achievements will take some time
Annexe and Links
“Joining Hands to advance modernization and build a community with a shared future’
Sept 5 2024
https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xw/zyxw/202409/t20240905_11485607.html
« Beijing declaration on jointly building an all weather China Africa community with shared future for the new era’
Sept 5 2024
https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xw/zyxw/202409/t20240905_11485993.html
“Forum on China Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan 2025 – 2027”
September 5 2024
https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xw/zyxw/202409/t20240905_11485719.html
“Foreign Ministers of the Co-Chairs of FOCAC jointly meet the Press’
September 6 2024
https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/wjbz/hd/202409/t20240906_11486618.html
‘Xi’s $50Billion pledge for 10 partnership actions at FOCAC – Meetings with African Leaders_ Data on RMB’s use in international trade’
Tracking People’s Daily
Sept 05, 2024
https://trackingpeoplesdaily.substack.com/p/xis-50-billion-pledge-for-10-partnership
“Breakdown of Key Outcomes from FOCAC Summit & Xi’s meetings with visiting African Leaders’
Tracking People’s Daily
Sept 06 2024
https://trackingpeoplesdaily.substack.com/p/breakdown-of-key-outcomes-from-focac
‘Xi’s $50Billion pledge for 10 partnership actions at FOCAC – Meetings with African Leaders_ Data on RMB’s use in international trade’
Tracking People’s Daily
Sept 05, 2024
https://trackingpeoplesdaily.substack.com/p/xis-50-billion-pledge-for-10-partnership
Many thanks for your work here. Africans will need to escalate their efforts at self-protection by passing strict foreign agent laws like the one Georgia did recently and reject US/EU aid efforts as destabilizing. Further, repudiation of dollarized debts as odious would be the greatest challenge Africans can foment against Imperialism along with the vestiges of French monetary imperialism.
Yes - but the US and France is now very weak, either soft or hard, especially weak hard
China military attachés everywhere, Russian military forces in the crucial states, and general social economic collapse in the two mainstays of US influence, Nigeria and Kenya...
China seems to have come up an answer to the US debt trap policies - with Ghana for example, although I admit I can not understand much of these financials
I have read reports that China suggests that Cjhina recyle it's US dollar surplus though Africa to pay off African $ debts and swap for RMB
This seems about as elegant a solution as can be imagined - but some one with more skill than I would have to comment on this
I've heard that idea. Need a new financial system too.
The World is Unfolding as it Should