Initiative for the China-Africa Think Tanks 10+10 Partnership Plan
We, representatives of the 16 think tanks from China and Africa, met at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum and the launching ceremony of the China-Africa Think Tanks 10+10 Partnership Plan held in Beijing October 22, 2013; we reviewed the achievements of Sino-African academic exchanges and cooperation, and jointly deliberated over future cooperation perspective.
We are happy to see, that, in the past three years, the China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Program was smoothly implemented, effectively promoting exchanges and cooperation among Chinese and African scholars and think tanks, uplifting the quality of research on Sino-African relations in our respective countries, boosting Sino-African people-to-people and academic as well as cultural exchanges, consolidating Sino-African friendship at the non-governmental level, and providing strengthful intellectual support for the sustainable and healthy development of Sino-African relations.
We have noticed, that, spearheaded and motivated by the China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Program, 3 meetings of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum (CATTF) have been successfully held, making CATTF a platform for conducting academic discussion and dialogue, strengthening information exchanges and sharing, and broadening consensus, and a bridge for building closer connections.
We highly regard the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)-Beijing Action Plan (2013-2015), which proposes to sponsor 100 academic research, exchange and cooperation programs by Chinese and African institutions and scholars in the next three years, and to implement the China-Africa Think Tanks 10+10 Partnership Plan by selecting 10 Chinese think tanks and 10 think tanks from African countries to establish long-term paired cooperation relationships for furthering exchanges and cooperation between think tanks and scholars from the two sides.
We think that the implementation of the China-Africa Think Tanks 10+10 Partnership Plan has opened a new mode for Sino-African academic exchanges and cooperation, built a new platform for interactions between Chinese and African think tanks, and, with its spirit of openness, will attract more think tanks and academic institutions from China and Africa and think tanks and scholars interested in Sino-African relations from other parts of the world to conduct frank, equal and in-depth dialogue, exchange and research on issues such as the promotion of peace and development in Africa and Sino-African relations.
We thank H. E. Mr. Yang Jiechi, State Councilor of China, for his presence at the opening ceremony of the 3rd meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum and the launching ceremony of the China-Africa Think Tanks 10+10 Partnership Plan, and for meeting representatives of think tanks from China and Africa. It is symbolic of the high attention and support the Chinese government attaches to Sino-African academic exchanges and cooperation. We welcome and encourage more government departments, financial institutions and enterprises from China and Africa to support Sino-African academic research and exchange activities, fully utilize their own resources and advantages to provide pragmatic help for furthering Sino-African people-to-people, academic and cultural exchanges.
We think, that, with the rapid development of Sino-African relations, it is inevitably necessary to strengthen exchanges and cooperation among Chinese and African scholars and think tanks. Sino-African cooperation in different areas have been developing rapidly and witnessed fruitful achievements in the new century. Looking to the future, the development of Sino-African relationship is faced with a broad perspective and numerous new challenges and problems, awaiting systematic theoretical thinking and in-depth practical exploration by Chinese and African think tanks and scholars, so that Sino-African relations can be developed sustainably and healthily based on sincere friendship, equality, reciprocity and mutual win, and learning from each other.
We think that strengthening exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African scholars and think tanks is a practical requirement for the respective renaissance of China and Africa. Historically, China and Africa both made huge contributions to the progress and development of world civilizations, both have developed their own rich knowledge traditions and intellectual heritages. At present, China and Africa are pursuing their own dreams and exploring their own development paths, Chinese and African scholars and think tanks can strengthen exchanges and learn from each other to exchange experiences in governance and socio-economic development, to absorb wisdom from each other’s experiences, and to jointly explore ways to boost development, maintain stability and achieve the renaissance of their respective cultures and societies.
We think that strengthening exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African scholars and think tanks can contribute to the uplifting of the discourse power of developing countries in international affairs. With rising comprehensive power, developing countries should make their voices heard on the international stage. Chinese and African scholars and think tanks should develop their original intellectual systems, knowledge products and discourse modes through joint discussion and exchanges based on the pragmatic needs of China and Africa, to build and maintain their own discourse power and to expand the interests of Africa and developing countries.
We think that strengthening exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African scholars and think tanks will promote dialogue among the world’s different civilizations. The clash of civilizations is not a preordained destiny of history. Under new circumstances, Chinese and African intellectuals should work together to push forward dialogue among civilizations of China, Africa and other parts of the world and promote South-South consensus, South-North dialogue, East-West interactions so that our common world will be more harmonious, peaceful and secure.
We have noticed, that, with the rapid development of Sino-African relations, especially supported and motivated by the China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Program, African studies in China and Chinese Studies in Africa have been heating up significantly, which is closely connected to the positions and roles of China and Africa in the global strategy and development. Chinese and African think tanks and scholars should stand on the intellectual frontier of the developing Sino-African relations to actively promote mutual understanding between the peoples of China and Africa with a truth-seeking and pragmatic spirit, broaden pragmatic cooperation, and make constructive suggestions and policy recommendations for the development of Sino-African relations. In the mean time, the two sides should broaden exchanges, strengthen institutional construction and increase resource investment to support in-depth research work. Therefore, we take the initiative to call on Chinese and African think tanks and scholars to step up efforts in the following areas:
---To understand the development of contemporary China and Africa and the outside world in a comprehensive and objective way based on the realities of the development of China, Africa and the world, to create new concepts, new scopes and new representations. Research emphasis will be put on how to achieve reciprocity, mutual win and common development for China and Africa, key theoretical issues regarding Sino-African relations, specific issues and relevant essential issues in Sino-African pragmatic cooperation.
---To enrich the mode of Sino-African academic exchanges and cooperation and strengthen innovation, and to form research characteristics and advantages by jointly publishing a series of high-quality papers, reports or books based on exchanges, mutual visits, discussions and in-depth joint research to provide practical intellectual support for the further development of Sino-African cooperation; to uplift the research qualities of Chinese and African scholars and think tanks and their influence in the international academic circles in the interests of building a positive and objective environment for the development of Sino-African relations.
---Chinese and African think tanks and scholars should establish and improve cooperation mechanisms, strengthen exchanges and learn from each other, and be complementary to each other with their own advantages. A highly professional academic community with strong research capacities dedicated to the study of China and Africa should be cultivated, special emphasis should be put on the cultivation of young personnel by creating more opportunities for their development
Chinese and African think tanks and high-learning institutions should increase their personnel and resource support for Africa-related and China-related research, build well relevant facilities such as libraries and information centers, museums and internet databases, and strengthen information exchanges and sharing among scholars.
We believe that the implementation of the China-Africa Think Tanks 10+10 Partnership Plan will help Chinese and African intellectual communities to set up effective long-term cooperative relations, which in turn will make greater contribution to the development of Sino-African relations.
Beijing, October, 2013