Following the decision by African and Chinese leaders to cooperate on matters of peace and security last year at the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China has showcased its strategic approach to strengthening its relations with Africa.

Last year, China’s President Xi Jinping announced a raft of new measures to strengthen China-Africa peace and security cooperation, and reached consensus with African leaders on launching the peace and security initiative.

This year is the first year for implementing the Beijing Summit outcomes.

At a meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers from Africa and representatives of different security organs last week in Addis Ababa, the Chair of FOCAC and Assistant Foreign Minister of China, Chen Xiaodong, told participants that his country was hoping for continued dialogue to build momentum for China-Africa peace and security cooperation.

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The Asian country has on several occasions emphasised the need for dialogue, saying it has principally enabled it to build relations with most of its allies in socio-economic and political affairs.

According to a statement from China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Chen said that China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, does not overlook the current challenges and risks the continent was facing even though security was improving.

He indicated that his country’s relation with Africa was based on "sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and pursuing the greater good and shared interests,” highlighting the role that China has played in the continent’s peace and security affairs.

The top political figure also highlighted that throughout the process, China has been committed to playing a fair, impartial and constructive role, helping Africa build up its own peacekeeping capacity, addressing the root causes as well as the symptoms, and pursuing cooperation for win-win results.

"No matter how the international landscape evolves or whatever noises individual countries may make, China’s resolve to follow through on the new peace and security cooperation measures announced by President Xi Jinping at the FOCAC Beijing Summit and relevant consensus reached by Chinese and African leaders remain unchanged,” he added.

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Chen added that China’s efforts to safeguard peace and stability in Africa remain unchanged, and that country’s actions to participate in the peace and security affairs in Africa remain unchanged.

Chinese officials believe that there are new opportunities for both Africa and China to step up cooperation including, on peace and security.

Among other things, Chen said that China was ready to work with Africa to explore new avenues for dialogue on peace and security policy and establish a China-Africa peace and security forum.

He also cited the country’s willingness to take new actions to build capacity on peace and security by encouraging the UN to provide financial support to AU’s own peacekeeping operations and delivering on the military assistance to the five countries in the Sahel region.

The official said that his country was also ready to explore new approaches to facilitate the political resolution of hotspot issues, implement the new measures of the peace and security initiative, and formulate a plan for the utilisation of the China-Africa Peace and Security Fund to promote new progress in China-Africa peace and security cooperation.

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