Editorial 1:

A panoramic view of the 2024 China-Africa summit

Context

With African governments finding it more comfortable to deal with China, the recent FOCAC conference needs objective scrutiny; there are takeaways for India.

Introduction

Africa figures prominently in China’s worldview and in the conduct of its foreign policy in the 21st century. During the past 24 years, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has emerged as an all-encompassing and effective platform for dialogue, interaction and planning between the two sides. African countries, despite their reservations and grievances, have found it useful to enhance their proximity to China. Unlike the previous decade, African governments and institutions of multiple hues now find it increasingly more comfortable to deal with their Chinese counterparts. In this light, the outcomes of the Ninth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC, which just concluded in Beijing, merit a dispassionate scrutiny.

The birth of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)

• The beginning of FOCAC: In the latter half of the 20th century, especially in its last decade, China laid the foundations of a strong partnership with Africa. This has blossomed during the FOCAC era which began with the first summit held in Beijing in 2000.
• Continuing the relationship: Since then, a total of five conferences took place in Beijing and one each in Ethiopia, Egypt, South Africa, and Senegal.

• The Beijing summit last week confirms China’s consistency and steadfastness in pursuing its goals relating to Africa.
• They are economic, political and strategic in nature, reflecting Beijing’s long-held view that Africa is vital to the world’s future — therefore, it should be motivated to stand alongside China. 

The main elements 

A careful look at the 30-paragraph-long Beijing Declaration of the latest summit reveals its key elements. 

• The jointly negotiated document: which bears predominantly the stamp of Chinese draftsmanship, has six sections,

• Outlining the high-level ‘China Africa Community with a Shared Future’
• Fostering ‘synergy’ between China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
• AU’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 UN Agenda for sustainable development
• The Global Development Initiative (GDI)
• The Global Security Initiative (GSI) and
• The Global Civilization Initiative (GCI); and spelling out the review and outlook for FOCAC
• Strong commitment between both sides: To expanding exchanges on governance, modernisation and poverty reduction so that modernisation based on ‘the characteristics of their own civilisations’ is promoted.

• They favour ‘mutually beneficial and inclusive economic globalization’ that focuses on the concerns of African countries.
• China supports Africa in increasing Africa’s influence and role in global governance.
• The declaration states: ‘Africa appreciates it that China is the first country to support the AU in joining the G20.’
•  Besides, the parties stand for an equal and orderly multipolar world, and for necessary reform and strengthening of the United Nations (UN), including its Security Council. 
• Synergistic relationship: There is little new in the goal to promote synergy involving Chinese, African and UN plans for development as this has been often articulated in the past.

• However, China has now hailed progress in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and expressed readiness to sign a framework agreement for economic partnership with Africa.
• On the issue of financing projects and businesses in Africa, the Chinese side astutely shifted responsibility by calling on international financial institutions and commercial creditors to participate in debt treatment for African countries. 
• Joint path to security: China’s three flagship plans — GDI, GSI, and GCI — have been firmly embedded into the purportedly joint strategy to create a common path to all-round security and development paradigm.

•  The declaration, for example, voices China’s support for increased UN funding for Africa’s independent peace operations, counterterrorism activities and maritime security challenges.
• Further, the document waxes eloquent in highlighting the need for joint action for deepening dialogue among cultures and civilisations. 
• Confirmation of continuity of relationship: The concluding section points to the transfer of responsibility of Africa’s FOCAC co-chair from Senegal to the Republic of the Congo and confirmation that the tenth conference will be held in 2027 in Congo. 

Beneath the surface, a familiar template 

• Rhetoric from the past: The international media produced numerous headlines while covering Chinese President Xi Jinping’s keynote address at the inauguration of the Beijing Summit, unaware that it sticks to a familiar template used on such occasions in the past.
• The debt-trap or financing: He presented the offer of new financing amounting to nearly $51 billion in soft loans, grants and investment promotion to African nations.
• Partnership agendas: He identified 10 partnership actions relating to trade connectivity, green development, industrial chain cooperation, and health, as he did in the past.
• Challenges related to implementation: On the surface, his big announcements such as provision of 60,000 training opportunities for women and youth, invitation to 1,000 members of African political parties to visit China, and training for 7,000 military and police personnel from Africa sound impressive, but opacity will prevail about the degree of their implementation in the future as it did in the past.
• Zero Tariff Approach: What, however, is noteworthy on this occasion is China’s decision to give all 33 African least developed countries zero tariff treatment for 100% tariff lines. When implemented, it could boost African exports to China. 

China-Africa Relations: A Multi-Dimensional Cooperation

Concerning the growing multi-dimensional cooperation between China and Africa, three principal perspectives should be factored in.

• The Chinese view: Is that a natural partnership exists between China, the largest developing country in the world, and Africa, the continent with the largest number of developing countries.
• With its own economic success, China has shown an alternative path to modernisation which is different from westernisation. The Chinese path is highly relevant to Africa, according to this school. 

• A sober African view: Recognises the benefits and risks of close partnership with China, but as pointed out by Paul Nantulya of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the FOCAC-centered process is still largely shaped by “a donor-recipient dynamic where African countries mostly take a back seat while China initiates most of the agenda”. 
• The prevalent American perception: Has been presented by Michael Schuman of the Atlantic Council who argues that China’s interest in the developing world is shaped by Xi Jinping’s anti-Americanism.

• He is of the opinion that the aim of Mr. Xi’s strategy is to build a coalition of states within the Global South to act as ‘a counter weight’ to the U.S. global alliance.
• European foreign minister viewpoint was articulated by a visiting India in 2019. He cautioned against interpreting the Chinese role in Africa ‘in black and white terms’. It was doing some good as in the health and education fields and it was also expanding its power and influence on the continent, he noted. 

Way forward: The import for India 

The takeaways for India from the latest FOCAC summit seem fairly obvious. 

• Consistency in cultivation of Africa at the highest political levels is a must. After holding three India-Africa Forum Summits, India paused its Africa-centered conference diplomacy in 2015. Almost a decade has elapsed since then.
• Strong historical bonds, ideational contributions and stirring rhetoric are useful, but they must be backed by financial generosity. This demands substantial additional resources for fuelling India-Africa cooperation. Without them, our diplomatic and business initiatives would become handicapped.
• Africa’s place in the list of India’s diplomatic priorities must be reviewed, If the continent enjoys a high priority, the Indian polity must be enabled and encouraged to act accordingly. 

India’s Africanists have presented a range of practical policy choices to the government. What is now needed is stronger political will. 

Conclusion

The FOCAC summit serves as a reminder for India to again focus its attention on Africa. An active and consistent diplomatic approach, with a lot of backing, would be critical to sustaining a robust relationship with Africa. Although India’s historical and cultural ties with Africa are essential, they still need to turn into political will and financial commitment. The more important factor today is that Africa is moving rapidly to play an increasingly important role in global power, and India must actively regard their relationship with the continent, as it learns from China’s strategic acts.

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Editorial 2:

UAE-India ties are rooted in affinity, trust and respect

Context

Given India-UAE’s long history of connections, the two countries are determined to keep growing and innovating together, with bilateral visits and agreements being given top priorities.

Introduction

During the visit of Sheikh Khaled, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to Delhi this week, there was one engagement that had emblematic significance for him and for the ties between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India. Visiting Rajghat, His Highness planted a tree in memory of Mahatma Gandhi, following the example of his father, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, in 2016, and his grandfather, the founding president of our country, Sheikh Zayed, in 1992

Historical and deep-rooted relationship between India-UAE

• A long standing relationship: The three trees, planted by three generations of the past, current and future leaders of our country, within the span of three decades, will stand side by side, a symbol of the deeply-rooted and growing ties between our two countries: embedded in the past but reaching towards the future.
• Different dynamics between the two countries: Our countries appear to be very different.

• Population size: India is almost 40 times larger than the UAE in size and is also the most populous country in the world. There are more than 1,000 Indian citizens for every Emirati citizen.
• Foundational strengths of our economy: Agriculture is a key pillar of India’s economy, for example, but only makes up less than 1% of the UAE’s GDP.
• Different governance dynamics: And while we both emerged as modern nations in the 20th century, our histories and governance are very different.

Yet, the strongest ties between nations are those where common interests and values are enriched by complementary strengths and diversity, embracing difference rather than seeking to paper over it. 

Deep connections, of people and progress 

• Relationship about mutual respect: The secret of the success — and distinctiveness — of the UAE-India relationship is the way it is rooted in affinity, trust and respect, derived from generations of human connections.
• Relationship about people and progress. The first trade links between the Arabian Gulf and India go back thousands of years, as people, goods and ideas crossed back and forth across the ocean.

• Pottery discovered in recent archaeological excavations in Abu Dhabi shows connections to the Indus Valley civilisations of more than four millennia ago.
• Many Emiratis travelled to India for medical treatment, for Indian homoeopathic medicine first, before other remedies. 

Strength of the expatriate community 

The UAE is home to more than 3.5 million Indians, the largest expatriate community in our country. These help our mutual ties to flourish:

• More inclusive and tolerant: Our success is built on our leaders’ far-sighted commitment to tolerance, inclusion and the empowerment of women and minorities, and we are grateful for the contribution Indian nationals make to the strength and vibrancy of our economy.
• infrastructural connectivity: The degree of connectivity between our countries can be seen in the simple fact that there are more than 1,500 flights between the UAE and India every single week. 
• Partnership and collaboration: When a relationship is founded on respect and a sincere inclination towards partnership and collaboration blossoms:

• In February 2022, India became the first country with which the UAE signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
• Trade negotiations which often take years, if not decades, and are sometimes abandoned due to insurmountable differences were agreed upon based on our partnership agreement within six months, because of the trust and affinity at the heart of our relationship.
• In its first year of operation, our bilateral trade jumped by over 15%.
• We have signed billions of rupees of additional investment deals, and plan to go much further. 

• Educational Connect: Sheikh Khaled recently attended the inauguration of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Abu Dhabi, which is the first overseas branch of the prestigious university.
• Mutual Agreements: We have exchanged agreements on topics including health innovation and renewable energy, crucial to our nations’ and the world’s future.

• During the Crown Prince’s visit, further co-operation agreements will be signed, including on civil nuclear technology: a domestic success story for the Emirates, but one rooted in international co-operation.
• India’s research into nuclear desalination to produce clean drinking water — which has obvious importance for a desert country such as the UAE — is one example of the many opportunities which our partnership can enable advances not just in green energy production but also in medical technology, scientific research, agriculture and industry. 

Conclusion

India – UAE ties that will flourish 

Like his grandfather, Sheikh Khaled planted an amaltas tree, Cassia fistula. His father, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, planted the moulsari tree (Mimusops elengi). Amaltas trees grow fast, embodying opportunity and renewal, while the slower-growing moulsari points us to the virtues of stability and patient trust. As the UAE and India continue to develop our comprehensive strategic partnership, these different qualities symbolise our approach. We can have confidence in our mutual affinity and respect and our long history of connection, renewing our partnership and finding new ways to flourish. Like the trees they planted, the UAE and India’s partnership is rooted in trust and stability, yet always determined to growing and renewing with opportunity and innovation.