Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

Editor's Note:

The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN. It is also a moment to review and reflect on the extraordinary trajectory of China-Africa relations. From sharing similar historical circumstances and jointly resisting colonialism and hegemony, to now pursuing the shared dream of modernization and advancing reforms in the international order and global governance, China-Africa cooperation has grown broader in scope and deeper in substance - a journey closely linked with the UN's own 80-year history.

The Global Times, in collaboration with South Africa's Independent Media, has launched a series titled "Global South Dialogue · China-Africa Opinion Power," inviting Chinese and African experts and scholars to engage in in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics related to China-Africa relations and their international context. The third installment featured discussions on the UN's 80-year journey witnessing the remarkable path of China-Africa ties.

Milestone significance of UNGA Resolution 2758  

Yoro Diallo (a renowned Malian scholar and former diplomat): The year 1971 is important - not only in the history of China-Africa relations, but also in the annals of world history, the history of the UN. In 1971, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, which restored the rightful seat of the People's Republic of China in the UN. 

This was more than a procedural vote. For me, it was a turning point in international relations - a moment when the collective voice of developing nations, led by Africa, reshaped the moral and political balance of global governance. It was a vote for justice and for equality, demonstrating extraordinary unity and conviction.

At that time, most African countries had only recently gained independence and deeply understood the pain of exclusion and the value of sovereignty. It was a statement of principle - the principle that every nation, regardless of its size or ideology, deserves recognition, respect, and representation in the international community.

In restoring China's rightful place in the UN, African countries affirmed that the global order should be guided not by power, but by justice and equality.

Abner Mosaase (head of international relations at the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency, South Africa, and a member of the African National Congress International Relations Committee): Africa prides itself on ties with China, because China is not known to us as an imperial or colonial power. We see China as a symbol of progressive internationalism. 

The balance of forces in the world has shifted from unipolarity, which has existed since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Before that, the world was bipolar, with the Eastern Bloc and Western Bloc contesting ideological space for hegemony. 

The development of China and the support for UNGA Resolution 2758 in 1971 by the majority of African countries ensured that China is collectively positioned as one of the leading and dominant forces in the changing geopolitical climate. 

We see China as the champion of South-South cooperation. We see the role of market forces in China as helpful in changing our economic landscape, as it is taking place in the world and within BRICS. China is very important here because we are looking to China to help us reestablish the global payment system, as well as to reduce the reliance on the US dollar, which is sometimes used arbitrarily to sanction countries that do not comply with certain US policies.

South Africa will be hosting the G20 Leaders' Summit on November 22 and 23. We hope that the declarations of the upcoming G20 summit will be helpful in ensuring that a new global configuration emerges in a healthy way.   

Jointly promoting a more just and equitable global governance system

Yoro Diallo: UNGA Resolution 2758 is a new chapter in global governance. It opened and changed more than just China's seat at the UN - it changed the geometry of global governance. China's return gave new energy to multilateralism, strengthened the voice of developing countries, and accelerated the shift toward a more inclusive and multipolar world order.

First, it affirmed the principle of legitimacy and legal representation. Resolution 2758 reinforced the idea that international institutions must reflect reality, not ideology - that every country's voice deserves to be heard. Second, it redefined South-South cooperation. The China-Africa partnership, born in that era of solidarity, has evolved into one of the most dynamic examples of mutual development and respect in the modern world. Third, it laid the foundation for a more balanced global governance system by giving a stronger platform to developing countries. 

Ismail Debeche (president of the Algeria-China Friendship Association): The historical and political background - based on China's strong support for African national independence and liberation movements - formed the very solid foundation for China-Africa relations.

China was also a victim of the West through the UN. It was deprived of its legal status at the UN for more than 20 years, from 1949 until 1971. During the same period, many African countries were also unable to participate in the UN because they were still under colonial rule. So both China and Africa were under Western domination and faced Western challenges, often at the expense of legality, justice and peace.

That is why today we find that most African countries and China share similar attitudes toward international institutions like the UN. They both call for reforming organizations so they can return to their original principles and the spirit of the UN Charter.

Opening a new chapter of win-win cooperation and common development

Ismail Debeche: In 2024, trade between China and African countries reached $295.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4.8 percent, setting a new record for the fourth consecutive year. 

Chinese investment in Africa has brought very positive results for African people. For example, Gambia is a small state almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. Years ago, it used to take almost a week to travel by car from southern Senegal to its capital Dakar. When China built a bridge connecting north and south Senegal, passing through Gambia, the journey was reduced to just a few hours. 

Take cooperation between Algeria and China. The economic partnership between the two countries is based on a win-win model. For example, cooperation in refinery construction and petroleum production now allows Algeria to produce refined oil domestically, instead of importing it from Europe. 

Africans now say one thing: The Chinese model of cooperation, based on the Belt and Road Initiative, is progressing very well and deeply contributing to African economic projects and investment.

Yoro Diallo: At this historic moment, when global governance is under pressure from inequality and injustice, the China-Africa partnership offers a third way - and it is a forward-looking model. It is not the Western model of donor-recipient relations. 

To become a transformative force, China-Africa cooperation must continue to develop along a multidimensional path. First, the next stage of cooperation will prioritize joint research, technology transfer and digital upgrading, enabling African economies to move up the global value chain and foster self-sustaining innovation ecosystems.

Second, building lasting institutions - universities, think tanks, digital platforms and financial mechanisms - can transform cooperation from a series of projects into a shared architecture of progress. 

Third, the focus is on people, not profit. The essence of South-South cooperation lies in human connections - investing in education, cultural exchanges and digital literacy ensures that development serves people, not only markets.

By focusing on these dimensions, China-Africa cooperation can transcend the traditional logic of aid and trade and become a model of inclusive development. It represents a distinct Global South governance paradigm. 

Liu Zhaoyi (director of the South Africa Branch at the Institute of Africa Studies, Zhejiang Normal University): My work is deeply involved in poverty reduction and regional development in South Africa. I see that there is an emerging need to strengthen cooperation in economic development between China and South Africa. I work with many investors from China in Africa as well, and I have seen many good examples of advancing local development across the African continent.

Several common pathways of China-Africa cooperation have emerged, from setting new global norms and financing mechanisms to developing practical capabilities and building metrics that align the UN, the African Union, the G20 and the WTO together. These ideas remind us that the right to development is not only an aspiration but also a shared responsibility.

We have seen how the spirit of anti-colonial solidarity that once defined China-Africa relations continues to shape the trajectory of today's multipolar world. We have witnessed the way the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation now operates as a form of multilateralism, reinforcing the work of the UN through its practical implementation capacity and inclusive, participatory character. And we have emphasized the need to make the right to development truly operational, moving from declarations to concrete rules through new measurement frameworks, financing mechanisms and inclusive governance - with China and Africa acting not just as partners, but also as co-builders of global order.