Beijing: China has expressed its readiness to collaborate with Africa in opposing hegemonism, unilateralism, and protectionism, while simultaneously advancing the collective rights of the Global South. Xue Bing, China’s Special Envoy for Horn of Africa Affairs, made this announcement during a seminar organized by China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU) in Beijing.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the seminar, themed ‘Building China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,’ brought together African diplomats in China and a delegation of heads of African diplomatic academies. Xue emphasized the importance of young diplomats in shaping a shared future, likening the China-Africa friendship to a towering tree that supports generations of dreamers in diplomacy. He highlighted the necessity for China and Africa, as integral parts of the Global South, to cooperate in resolving development challenges and bridging the global development gap.
Xue advocated for a multipolar world rooted in international rules, jointly upheld by China and Africa under the United Nations charter. He urged both regions to remain committed to multilateralism and to promote an international system based on equity, fairness, and mutual respect. In light of rising global uncertainties, Xue called for true multilateralism and a just global governance system to tackle shared global challenges, warning against hegemony enforced through threats or tariffs, which he argued harms legitimate interests, violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, and weakens the multilateral trading system.
Ambassador Wang Shihting, CPC Committee Secretary of CFAU, also spoke at the seminar, calling for lessons from World War II to be used to promote global justice and peace. With the year 2025 marking 80 years since the end of WWII, Wang emphasized the need to support fairness and peace in global affairs. He highlighted China’s initiatives, such as the Belt and Road and the global development plan, as solutions for collective global progress. Wang also drew attention to the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, underscoring the shared goals of modernization and building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.
CFAU, as noted by Wang, plays a crucial role in training top-tier diplomatic talents with multidisciplinary expertise to serve China’s foreign service and international engagement. He pointed out that CFAU has partnerships with 182 universities in 73 countries and expressed hopes to expand links with African institutions. Amid complex global tensions, Wang stressed the importance of young diplomats in supporting peace and sustainable development.
Ambassador Vuyelwa Maud Dlomo of South Africa praised CFAU for hosting the China-Africa Diplomatic Academy Forum as part of WWII anniversary events. She emphasized the need to prioritize solidarity, equality, and sustainability in building a fairer global system. Dlomo highlighted that these values are essential for overcoming barriers that hinder the Global South’s development and progress, noting that Africa and China are vital partners in creating a shared, prosperous future for all nations. She concluded by urging strong support for multilateralism and global governance institutions as pillars of global peace and prosperity.
