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The year 2016 was rich in events for China-Africa cooperation， with significant progress being made on key aspects at different levels.
Major breakthroughs have been achieved for both sides during the year’s major international events， including China’s strong support for a plan on Africa’s industrialization during the Hangzhou G20 Summit， the launch of the Chinese-built electrified railway between Ethiopia and Djibouti and the multi-billion-dollar deals signed during the Second Investing in Africa Forum.
Despite the many unknowns that have arisen on the larger international stage over the last months of 2016， China-Africa relations are growing deeper and stronger and remain a factor of stability in a changing global environment. ChinAfrica selected 10 of the most significant events of 2016 as follows：
10 Most Influential Events in China-Africa Relations in 2016
1. Chinese language introduced at South African schools
A total number of 44 schools across South Africa have introduced Chinese language into their curricula in 2016 and another 500 schools in South Africa will offer Chinese as a second foreign language in the next five years. The roll-out of Chinese teaching in South Africa was incrementally implemented in schools with Grades 4 to 10 in January 2016， to be followed by Grade 11 in 2017 and Grade 12 in 2018.
2. China-Egypt Cultural Year 2016 launched
A series of cultural activities kicked off a year of cultural exchanges between China and Egypt in late January， in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The China-Egypt Cultural Year saw the two sides work together on a series of activities including music， dance， food， artists’ exchanges， tourism and exhibition of relics. Cultural exchanges are aimed at enhancing the two peoples’ mutual understandings to help improve the two countries’ cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative， according to Lu Yanfei， Deputy Head of the Foreign Relations Department under the Ministry of Culture.
3. China’s top legislator visited three African countries
In late March， Zhang Dejiang， Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress， China’s top legislature， embarked on a 10-day Africa tour which took him to Zambia， Rwanda and Kenya. During his visits， Zhang proposed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as industrial capacity， agriculture， infrastructure construction， finance and human resources development between China and African countries. He also called on to enhance bilateral collaboration on implementing the consensus reached at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in South Africa in late 2015， and constantly deepen bilateral relations. 4. African countries support China’s position on South China Sea Issue
One of the biggest stories of the year was the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea row. The Arbitral Tribunal was established by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague， which has no relation with the United Nations. The Tribunal ruled on July 12 that China’s claim to the waters of the South China Sea has no legal basis. China said the Tribunal had no way in which to enforce the decision reached， and ignored the ruling calling it null and void. Throughout the month-long debate， the African Union， along with African nations including Tanzania， Uganda， Eritrea， Comoros and South Africa were vocal in their support for China and its sovereignty over the waters. This incident was an important milestone in China’s ongoing deepening relationship with Africa.
5. Implementation of the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit Action Plan Promoted
A Coordinators’ Meeting， held on July 29 in Beijing， assessed the implementation of the outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation（FOCAC）. It confirmed that great progress has been achieved through prompt action by both China and Africa， and reaffirmed further joint efforts in achieving the goals of the summit.
6. China-Africa Public Diplomacy Forum held in Tanzania
The China-Africa Public Diplomacy Forum was held on August 9 in Tanzania’s largest city of Dar es Salaam. The forum focused on exploring opportunities for future development and shared diplomatic perceptions so as to understand the divergence of opinions that could lead to misunderstandings. Organized by the China Public Diplomacy Association and China Radio International， the forum emphasized the role played by media in bridging the gap between the peoples of China and Africa.
7. Africa welcomed G20 resolutions on Africa’s industrialization
The Group of 20 （G20） Summit opened on September 4 in east China’s Hangzhou City. Leaders participating in the summit backed a new plan to support Africa’s industrialization. It is the first time that the G20 agreed on an action plan for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and supporting the industrialization of African countries and least developed countries. 8. The Second Investing in Africa Forum
On September 7， the Second Investing in Africa Forum was held in south China’s Guangzhou City. The event， one of the biggest and arguably most influential of the year for Chinese-African business relations， saw deals worth more than $2.5 billion being signed. Around 300 government officials， entrepreneurs and international organization representatives took part in the forum. Among the guests was South African President Jacob Zuma， who reiterated his commitment to strengthening the South Africa-China relationship.
9. Africa’s first international electrified railway launched
On October 5， Africa’s first cross-border electrified railway， the Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway， became fully operational. It links the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa with the port of Djibouti. The 756-km electrified railway was built by two Chinese companies， namely China Railway Group and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. This transport project is expected to strengthen the economies of Ethiopia and Djibouti and further integrate the region economically.
10. More South African fruits to be available in China
On October 31， The China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association and Fruit South Africa signed a memorandum of understanding （MoU） to expand fruit trade between the two countries. The MoU covers a wide variety of products， including apples， pears， grapes， citrus and subtropical fruits. The agreement will create a more favorable environment for the development of fruit trade between the two countries， and make it easier for fruit lovers in China to enjoy fresh products all year round.
Major breakthroughs have been achieved for both sides during the year’s major international events， including China’s strong support for a plan on Africa’s industrialization during the Hangzhou G20 Summit， the launch of the Chinese-built electrified railway between Ethiopia and Djibouti and the multi-billion-dollar deals signed during the Second Investing in Africa Forum.
Despite the many unknowns that have arisen on the larger international stage over the last months of 2016， China-Africa relations are growing deeper and stronger and remain a factor of stability in a changing global environment. ChinAfrica selected 10 of the most significant events of 2016 as follows：
10 Most Influential Events in China-Africa Relations in 2016
1. Chinese language introduced at South African schools
A total number of 44 schools across South Africa have introduced Chinese language into their curricula in 2016 and another 500 schools in South Africa will offer Chinese as a second foreign language in the next five years. The roll-out of Chinese teaching in South Africa was incrementally implemented in schools with Grades 4 to 10 in January 2016， to be followed by Grade 11 in 2017 and Grade 12 in 2018.
2. China-Egypt Cultural Year 2016 launched
A series of cultural activities kicked off a year of cultural exchanges between China and Egypt in late January， in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The China-Egypt Cultural Year saw the two sides work together on a series of activities including music， dance， food， artists’ exchanges， tourism and exhibition of relics. Cultural exchanges are aimed at enhancing the two peoples’ mutual understandings to help improve the two countries’ cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative， according to Lu Yanfei， Deputy Head of the Foreign Relations Department under the Ministry of Culture.
3. China’s top legislator visited three African countries
In late March， Zhang Dejiang， Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress， China’s top legislature， embarked on a 10-day Africa tour which took him to Zambia， Rwanda and Kenya. During his visits， Zhang proposed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as industrial capacity， agriculture， infrastructure construction， finance and human resources development between China and African countries. He also called on to enhance bilateral collaboration on implementing the consensus reached at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in South Africa in late 2015， and constantly deepen bilateral relations. 4. African countries support China’s position on South China Sea Issue
One of the biggest stories of the year was the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea row. The Arbitral Tribunal was established by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague， which has no relation with the United Nations. The Tribunal ruled on July 12 that China’s claim to the waters of the South China Sea has no legal basis. China said the Tribunal had no way in which to enforce the decision reached， and ignored the ruling calling it null and void. Throughout the month-long debate， the African Union， along with African nations including Tanzania， Uganda， Eritrea， Comoros and South Africa were vocal in their support for China and its sovereignty over the waters. This incident was an important milestone in China’s ongoing deepening relationship with Africa.
5. Implementation of the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit Action Plan Promoted
A Coordinators’ Meeting， held on July 29 in Beijing， assessed the implementation of the outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation（FOCAC）. It confirmed that great progress has been achieved through prompt action by both China and Africa， and reaffirmed further joint efforts in achieving the goals of the summit.
6. China-Africa Public Diplomacy Forum held in Tanzania
The China-Africa Public Diplomacy Forum was held on August 9 in Tanzania’s largest city of Dar es Salaam. The forum focused on exploring opportunities for future development and shared diplomatic perceptions so as to understand the divergence of opinions that could lead to misunderstandings. Organized by the China Public Diplomacy Association and China Radio International， the forum emphasized the role played by media in bridging the gap between the peoples of China and Africa.
7. Africa welcomed G20 resolutions on Africa’s industrialization
The Group of 20 （G20） Summit opened on September 4 in east China’s Hangzhou City. Leaders participating in the summit backed a new plan to support Africa’s industrialization. It is the first time that the G20 agreed on an action plan for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and supporting the industrialization of African countries and least developed countries. 8. The Second Investing in Africa Forum
On September 7， the Second Investing in Africa Forum was held in south China’s Guangzhou City. The event， one of the biggest and arguably most influential of the year for Chinese-African business relations， saw deals worth more than $2.5 billion being signed. Around 300 government officials， entrepreneurs and international organization representatives took part in the forum. Among the guests was South African President Jacob Zuma， who reiterated his commitment to strengthening the South Africa-China relationship.
9. Africa’s first international electrified railway launched
On October 5， Africa’s first cross-border electrified railway， the Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway， became fully operational. It links the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa with the port of Djibouti. The 756-km electrified railway was built by two Chinese companies， namely China Railway Group and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. This transport project is expected to strengthen the economies of Ethiopia and Djibouti and further integrate the region economically.
10. More South African fruits to be available in China
On October 31， The China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association and Fruit South Africa signed a memorandum of understanding （MoU） to expand fruit trade between the two countries. The MoU covers a wide variety of products， including apples， pears， grapes， citrus and subtropical fruits. The agreement will create a more favorable environment for the development of fruit trade between the two countries， and make it easier for fruit lovers in China to enjoy fresh products all year round.