中欧社会论坛 - China Europa ForumContrasting Perceptions: Chinese, African, and European Perspectives on the China–Africa Summit
KATHARINA HOFMANN, JÜRGEN KRETZ, MICHAEL ROLL, AND SEBASTIAN SPERLING
T he third and, so far largest, summit of the Forum for Chinese–African
Cooperation (focac) was characterized by harmony, bringing to-
gether 1,700 delegates from China and Africa under the motto »Friend-
ship, peace, cooperation, and development.« Forty-eight African states
were represented, 41 of them for the first time, by their head of state or
government. At the end the participants adopted the »Beijing Declara-
tion,« as well as the »Action Plan 2007–2009.« Both documents were
unanimously hailed by the parties, 50 years after the commencement of
diplomatic relations between China and Africa, as »historical milestones«
and as a manifesto for a »new kind of strategic partnership.«
In the agreements common principles and goals are defined which are
to form the basis for intensive exchange and cooperation. Beyond that
they include a comprehensive package of concrete investment and devel-
opment aid commitments on the part of the Chinese for the next three
years, including favorable credits in the amount of three billion us dol-
lars, preferential credits for the purchase of Chinese goods to the value of
two billion us dollars, as well as the doubling of Chinese development
aid by 2009 (see Infobox). Within the framework of the second Chinese–
African Entrepreneurs Conference on the fringe of the summit Chinese
firms in addition concluded investment agreements with 11 African states
in the amount of 1.9 billion us dollars.