China's vision of global governance resonates with Africa's aspirations

The recently released white paper,"More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China's Principles, Proposals and Actions", resonates with Africa's aspiration to amplify its voice and agency in the international arena.

As geopolitical tensions rise, Africa faces two major historical challenges: the legacy of the 1884 Berlin Conference, which defined the modern national borders in Africa, and the post-World War II international system.

The primary objective of the Berlin Conference was not to foster internal cohesion or regional prosperity in Africa but to establish European spheres of influence on the continent. It left a legacy of fragmentation, extraction, raw material export and systemic dependence on Western markets that lasted for over a century. Although the post-World War II international system established a multilateral framework through the United Nations, it concentrated trade, finance and security authority in Western hands.

As African countries navigate the current global realignment, they must draw lessons from history to enhance their statecraft, industrialization and trade strategies.

The shift toward a multipolar, and multi-market global system presents a unique opportunity to restructure trade and finance, unlocking the benefits of Africa's diversity. Beijing's white paper on global governance is an entry point for aligning the strategic objectives of the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Beijing upholds the United Nations Charter as a legal shield to protect countries from external political pressure and as a counterweight to Western unilateralism.

This is particularly appealing to African countries that want to reduce their exposure to geopolitical rivalries and proxy conflicts, and are keen on maintaining sovereignty.

The white paper opposes protectionist measures and promotes "open, inclusive, and non-discriminatory trade architectures", a principle that is reinforced by China's May 1 policy granting zero-tariff access to 53 African countries.

This arrangement is a compelling opportunity for the private sector to invest in value addition within Africa to serve the Chinese market of 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of $20.6 trillion. Unified market standards across all 53 participating countries will make it easier for the AfCFTA to adopt such standards across the African market.

The call for reform of the international financial architecture to prevent its misuse as an instrument of economic coercion also resonates deeply with African nations. Historically, they have faced tough conditions from Bretton Woods institutions that tied access to capital to structural adjustments.

The white paper suggests alternative financing frameworks such as the New Development Bank and proposes the possibility of an African Monetary Fund. Diversifying currency regimes and expanding local currency settlement mechanisms could shield Africa from transaction risks and inflation tied to trading in US dollars and other foreign currencies.

The white paper also focuses on securing technological sovereignty in frontier sectors. Africa's participation in artificial intelligence is minimal, with an estimated 1 percent of the world's computing capacity and less than 2 percent of talent. This poses a significant threat to the continent's future in a world increasingly dominated by "tech-feudalism".

China invites Africa to take agency in crafting technology governance. The African Union should take proactive steps to participate in establishing rules for new frontiers, including AI, cyberspace, and outer space, to ensure they reflect international consensus rather than standards set by a few actors.

The white paper offers comprehensive proposals for addressing the severe and complex challenges facing the world, highlighting the Global Governance Initiative as China's response to global governance challenges, China's contribution to global governance, and a vision for a peaceful future.

It lays out two choices — a future marked by peace, dialogue and win-win cooperation or one marred by war, confrontation, and zero-sum competition.

For Africa, this means redefining multilateralism centered on the UN Charter, sovereign equality that rejects unilateral bullying, Global South agency, and the establishment of new rules and frameworks in technology and development, marked by institutional coordination and long-term planning.

The white paper "More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China's Principles, Proposals and Actions" provides African countries with an opportunity to debate, discuss and adapt its contents to suit their local conditions.

Africa should use the document to understand China better and leverage Beijing's commitment to Global South solidarity to negotiate investment and trade terms and deeper technology exchanges to enhance localized value addition.

Historically, the continent has adopted institutional frameworks developed externally without sufficient adaptation to its local contexts. This time, African agency should take center stage to ensure that the document is not merely copied.

The author is the founder and director of the Inter Region Economic Network, a Nairobi based think tank.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.