FOCAC 2024 aims to renew the China-Africa relationship

Significance This was the largest FOCAC event ever, bringing together leaders of 53 African countries and their Chinese counterparts. The event aimed to reinvigorate the Sino-African relationship after a tumultuous half-decade; however, significant questions regarding debt and the character of trade relations remain. Impacts FOCAC did not feature any debt relief or restructuring deals, but the nature of the pledge package was more diverse than previous editions. New scholarships and training opportunities offered by China aim to cement its influence on the continent. FOCAC also produced promises of trade liberalisation in the agricultural sector, part of Xi’s promise to create 1 million jobs in Africa. Rhetoric on shared histories of marginalisation and alternative development paths responds to growing geopolitical competition over Africa.