SFC Markets and Finance | Harvey Dzodin: China-Africa Cooperation Sets a Global Example

南方财经全媒体记者 李依农 北京报道

At the 2024 FOCAC Summit, China and Africa's partnership in modernization reached a significant milestone, marking a new chapter in Global South collaboration. As China actively supports Africa's development, the potential for transformative change grows, offering new opportunities for shared prosperity. 

Harvey Dzodin, former legal advisor in the Carter administration and senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, pointed out that we are entering a new era—a multi-polar world where global leadership is increasingly shared. In this context, China's collaboration with Africa is not only about economic partnership but also about setting an example of mutual respect and sustainable development for the world to follow.

Dzodin suggests that this growing cooperation between China and Africa holds great promise for future global development. 

SFC Markets and Finance: China has been actively supporting Africa's modernization process. Do you think China is helping Africa in a way that aligns with Africa's priorities?

Harvey Dzodin: I believe there's an absolute alignment. Since its founding in 1949, China has been solidly aligned with Africa. For me, a key moment was the conference in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955. That conference gave birth to the Non-Aligned Movement, the Third World, and what we now call the Global South. 

At that time, most of Africa was under Western colonial rule and being exploited for its resources. The West exploited their colonies and resisted granting them independence, which would only come in the 1960s. China supported this development, whereas the Western colonialists did not. 

New China has always believed in "Africa for the Africans" since its very founding. Sadly, the mindset of this East-West and North-South divide persists to this day. While the West exploits Africa, China partners with it. FOCAC, founded in 2000, recognizes this legacy and the long-standing partnership between China and the African continent.

SFC Markets and Finance: Given such strong partnership between China and African countries, what potential do you see?

Harvey Dzodin: There's so much potential for cooperation. The West sees Africa as a place to still be exploiting its resources. China sees Africa as a place to partner with, including its more than 50 countries represented at FOCAC, and there's immense synergy between them. 

It's forecasted that Africa will experience prolific growth, not only in population but also in development by mid-century and by the end of the century. Africa is a continent full of potential but also has many needs. It needs modernization, infrastructure, and development, as it is very backward. Africa has been held back for various reasons, but China possesses the technology that can elevate Africa to the next level and position it as a partnering country with the rest of the world.

We should no longer view Africa merely as a place to exploit or extract resources from, but as a partner in development. This development will include areas where China excels, such as technology. For instance, China is now the world leader in renewable energy. Africa needs energy, particularly renewable energy, to address crises in this era of global warming. China can provide Africa with wind power, water power, and solar technology that will elevate people's lives, similar to how New China has improved lives within China itself.

I believe the sky is the limit for cooperation between China and Africa. The relations between the two have never been better, even though they have always been good.

SFC Markets and Finance: Behind China-Africa cooperation, the collaboration of Global South nations is also strengthening. How do you think Western countries perceive the increasing influence and collaboration among Global South nations?

Harvey Dzodin: I think many of them, especially the former colonial powers, have some regret about the growing influence of the Global South countries. Countries that were once number one never like to become number two, three, or four. I believe that this increasing influence among the Global South countries bothers the former colonial powers and countries like the United States, which did not support the independence of African countries until very, very late.

Looking back over history, China was always behind African independence. The West was not. The West does not value Africa except to exploit its resources and does not respect Africa. China, however, is not that way. 

I think the West is anxious about the increasing influence and collaboration of the Global South, while China welcomes it because China is a partner with Africa. The West? Not so much, unfortunately.

SFC Markets and Finance: An increasingly open China is crucial for international cooperation, for instance,the Belt and Road Initiative is a reflection of this openness. What impacts do you think this initiative has had on global development?

Harvey Dzodin: Unlike many politicians in most countries, especially in the West, where politicians often talk the talk but don't walk the walk, China does both. China delivers on what it promises. 

Since 2013, it has built this Belt and Road Initiative into a way of connecting the entire world, linking the world by high-speed rail, by sea, and in ways that weren't possible before.

I believe the Belt and Road is like an artery in the body, connecting the heart to the rest of the body. The Belt and Road acts as the heart, connecting different parts of the world with each other. This is China's way of being a partner—not in a master-servant relationship with other countries, but working alongside them. This has always been the model of New China, and it continues to be so today.

SFC Markets and Finance: Speaking of an increasingly open China, "reform," "development," "modernization," and "opening up" were frequently mentioned in the communique of the 3rd Plenum. What signals does this send to the world?

Harvey Dzodin: I think the third plenum sends a very important signal. The third plenum is always significant because it focuses on major economic and political reforms. It's less about the present and more forward-looking—like a compass, pointing the way to China's future. In 1978, it was the third plenum that set China on the path of reform and opening up, leading to decades of economic miracles and transforming China from an agricultural society into the global powerhouse it is today.

So it's no surprise that terms like "reform" and "opening up" figure prominently this year. The communique indicates that China is entering a new era, re-balances public and private market forces, encouraging both foreign investment and domestic consumption, with the goal of modernizing its governance and economic systems by 2035 and completing key reform tasks no later than 2029. The terms "modernization" and "development" suggest moving away from unsustainable growth models, such as those based on real estate, toward cutting-edge productivity.

Given China's tremendous advancements in science and technology, the signal the third plenum sends to the world is clear—China continues to innovate, just as it has throughout much of its storied history. Many in the West may have little understanding of China's rich history. Perhaps a few recall ancient China's Four Great Inventions, which were highlighted during the 2008 Beijing Olympics: the compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing. These inventions were state-of-the-art in their time, just as China's leadership today excels in fields like digitization, robotics, and renewable energy.

SFC Markets and Finance: Speaking of modernization, what do you think are the key characteristics of Chinese modernization?

Harvey Dzodin: To me, the key characteristics of Chinese modernization are the societal shift from the old and stale to the new and exciting. Having lived in China for two decades, what impresses me is that China never rests on its past achievements, no matter how significant they were. Instead, it always looks toward the future. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, innovation is continuous.

It reminds me of what the famous Austrian management consultant Peter Drucker once said: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Chinese modernization is doing exactly that—creating the future with competent leadership in the fields that matter today and tomorrow.

SFC Markets and Finance: New quality productive forces are another key emphasis in China's development. How do you understand this concept?

Harvey Dzodin: I view it through the long sweep of Chinese history, stretching back at least 4,000 to 5,000 years. Many in the West may not realize that China has a remarkable history, having been one of the richest countries in the world hundreds and thousands of years ago. China made significant inventions long before modern times.

For instance, during the Ming dynasty, there was an admiral named Zheng He who commanded state-of-the-art ships that traveled to Africa, the Middle East, and some say even to North America and Australia. This ancient technology and innovation never ceased; China has continued to innovate.

What I understand new quality productive forces to be is a continuation of that ancient trend. Today, China is a world leader in many technologies. As it replaces unsustainable models with cutting-edge productive forces, it is set to elevate China, Asia, Africa, and the world to new levels of development—levels that were unimaginable even just 50 or 70 years ago.

SFC Markets and Finance: At the same time, Guangdong is a leader in technological innovation. What's your impression of Guangdong, and how do you view its role in China's development?

Harvey Dzodin: I've been visiting Guangdong for many decades, starting in 1988, which has allowed me to experience and compare the region over time. I must say, Guangdong is the engine driving China's new quality productive forces. 

Guangzhou, once known as Canton, has a rich history. Shenzhen, which was once a small fishing village, is now a thriving metropolis and high-tech capital with a population of 13 million. It is home to innovative companies like Huawei, known around the world. 

I also want to highlight that Guangdong is the anchor of China's Greater Bay Area. I am truly impressed with the progress made in Guangdong Province in such a short time. 

I hope visitors to China will not only explore Beijing and Shanghai, although they are wonderful, but also experience South China, including Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and Macau.

Seeing the amazing transformation for themselves is crucial. Visitors should also visit museums to understand how backward the region was even just half a century ago. If they do visit, I hope they will appreciate how China and its leadership have propelled the country to such rapid development while other nations have stagnated. Again, seeing is believing.

SFC Markets and Finance: As someone who has lived in China for decades, you've been working to help the international community better understand China. What aspects of China do you think should be better communicated to the world?

Harvey Dzodin: First, I believe that under the leadership of the CPC, China's whole process of people's democracy is effective. It utilizes proven tools like five-year plans and a personnel system that promotes those who achieve goals to higher levels of responsibility. 

I've seen this with my own eyes, visiting the poverty-alleviated village of Shibadong in Sichuan. Once isolated and economically stagnant, it is now connected by fast trains and good roads. The people there have made a quantum leap from poverty to a richer, more satisfying, and productive life.

Moreover, surveys consistently show high levels of happiness in China. For example, the annual Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that Chinese people rate their government among the highest in the world. 

I have to say, seeing is believing, and I encourage people to visit China, not just Beijing and Shanghai or the usual tourist spots like the Great Wall, but also explore China's beautiful interior, its amazing landscapes, and geographical features that are even harder to imagine.

So I don't think anybody should take my word for it, or any expert's word for it, because seeing is believing. People should go and see for themselves. Don't just rely on experts or read books and newspapers, people have to go and see for themselves.

China's transformation since my first visit in 1988 is astonishing. It's more modern than many Western cities, and people might not fully grasp this. But I think for the 144-hour visa, or whatever form of travel is taken in China by foreigners, it’s important to meet  Chinese people directly, not just hotel concierges or taxi drivers, but to connect meaningfully.

And today we call it people-to-people connectivity. It's what the Belt and Road has done. It's what China has done, more generally. We need to find ways to connect people in the different countries and language should not be any kind of hindrance, because there's excellent Chinese and other technology that does translations in real time. So I believe that meeting Chinese people is a key.

Why? Because there's a lot of differences politically in the world now. But people in China, people outside of China, we're mostly all the same and in almost every respect. And if we can see each other as people, not as objects or enemies or whatever, then I think we're going to have a better world, a more friendly world, a world that will persevere beyond the environmental crises and political crises that we're now facing, to go beyond our 21st century into 22nd century and beyond.

We're moving from a traditional world where the US and the West has been leader to a multi-polar world, and it's important that we get to know each other. Everybody should be talking to each other and communicating with each other. We have the technology. China's invented a lot of the technology, and so there's no better way than people-to-people connectivity.

SFC Markets and Finance: Lastly, looking ahead, what are your expectations for China's future economic and social development?

Harvey Dzodin: I think the essence can be summed up in the saying onward and upward. I expect great things from China. It's true that China faces some economic headwinds, but all countries experience economic challenges, and economies naturally go through cycles of ups and downs. What sets China apart is how it’s governed through whole-process people's democracy. Because of this, I believe China not only has a rich history and a vibrant present but also a future that promises even greater common prosperity.

I see the next step being one where even more people become prosperous. Achieving this requires strong leadership, it doesn’t happen by chance. 

We're moving toward a multi-polar world, and it won’t be led solely by China, the US, or the EU. It's going to be led together, hopefully, through the United Nations and other international entities like FOCAC and others, to have a shared future together. And I believe that's going to be done, because there's going to be other countries that come to the forward that are not world leaders today. Countries in Africa, certainly, and countries now like Turkey, Indonesia, that are going to become very prominent very quickly, and are going to assume a place in global leadership. 

China wants to be friends and is friends with everybody, will have a model where the world is working together, to take it to a new level that's never been seen before in the history of our world.

策划：于晓娜

监制：施诗

责任编辑：和佳

记者：李依农

制作：李群

设计：岳辰菡

新媒体统筹：丁青云 曾婷芳 赖禧 黄达迅

海外运营监制: 黄燕淑

海外运营内容统筹: 黄子豪 

海外运营编辑：庄欢 吴婉婕 龙李华 张伟韬

出品：南方财经全媒体集团