Dear Focus Reader,

Leaders from over 50 African nations, including South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Kenya's William Ruto, and Nigeria's Bola Tinubu, gathered in Beijing for the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) this week. This marked the first in-person summit since 2018, as Beijing aims to deepen cooperation and solidify its relationships on the continent.

During the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged nearly $51 billion in financial support to the continent, with a focus on industrial development, infrastructure, green technology, and security across Africa. Xi framed the relationship as critical for global modernization, recalling China and Africa's shared struggle against colonialism and their mutual aspiration for development. He also promised to create 1 million jobs across Africa as part of the broader initiative, and to elevate bilateral relations to "strategic" levels.

Security cooperation was also a key theme of the summit. Xi pledged $140 million in military aid—the largest ever at FOCAC—and promised to train thousands of African military and law enforcement personnel. He also noted that Beijing is working to safeguard its investments and operations in Africa, where Chinese businesses, particularly in the mining sector, have faced increasing threats.

The summit occurred as the United States and Europe are increasing their own engagement with Africa, particularly surrounding access to critical minerals. With this, Xi's emphasis on solidarity and a "shared future" with the continent was seen as a bid to position China as an ally of the Global South, positing itself favorably in contrast to Western countries. Attending African leaders praised China's support, with particular emphasis on its commitment to addressing global challenges, like resource competition and the climate crisis.

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