01/10/2026
IDSC and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Explore Deeper China–Africa Cooperation in Capacity Building and Industrialization
The Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC), in cooperation with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), organized a forum titled “Advancing the China–Africa Partnership under the Belt and Road Initiative in Light of International and Regional Developments,” bringing together a select group of experts, specialists, and academics from Egypt and China.
At the opening session, Dr. Osama Elgohary, Assistant to the Prime Minister and Chairman of IDSC, emphasized that the international system is undergoing a notable phase of transformation, characterized by intensifying competition among global powers and its expansion into trade, technology, supply chains, finance, and infrastructure. He noted that, in this context, the Belt and Road Initiative is gaining increasing importance, not only as a framework for infrastructure and trade connectivity, but also as one of the avenues through which countries of the Global South can expand their room for maneuver, diversify their partnerships, and advance their development objectives.
Dr. Elgohary added that one of the most important ongoing transformations is the changing way African countries perceive their position in the international system. They are increasingly seeking to move from being recipients of policies shaped by external powers to becoming partners with their own interests, priorities, and ability to choose and weigh alternatives, while strengthening their collective bargaining power and increasing coordination among themselves in multilateral forums.
He also stressed that the success of the China–Africa partnership in the next phase should not be measured solely by the volume of financing or the number of projects implemented, but by these projects’ ability to create local economic value, strengthen national capacities, support industrialization and African integration, and deliver more sustainable and inclusive development.
Moreover, Dr. Elgohary highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation to include joint manufacturing, renewable energy, the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI), agriculture and food security, scientific research, technical education, and skills development. Such expansion, he noted, would deepen the developmental dimension of the China–Africa partnership and increase the benefits it provides to African countries.
For his part, Dr. Shen Guilong, Director and Professor at the Institute of China and World Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), expressed his appreciation for cooperation with IDSC. He noted that relations between the IDSC and the Academy have extended over several years and encompass cooperation in a number of areas, adding that the two sides are currently working on a memorandum of understanding to enhance the exchange of expertise and knowledge.
Dr. Guilong affirmed that the Belt and Road Initiative is gaining increasing importance amid accelerating global challenges and has progressed to the implementation of numerous projects on the ground in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063. He expressed confidence that China–Africa relations have broad opportunities for further development in light of their shared interests and needs.
During the forum’s first session, titled “International Geopolitics and China–Africa Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative,” participants discussed ongoing transformations in the international system and their implications for opportunities to develop the China–Africa partnership.
Ambassador Ali El-Hefny, Egypt’s former Ambassador to China, stressed the importance of holding the forum at a time of rapid change and intensifying international competition. He noted that Africa is increasingly seeking to consolidate its position as an active partner, adding that the success of Belt and Road projects is linked to how closely they correspond to the actual needs of African countries and their ability to improve people’s living standards.
Professor Tang Zhizhao, Professor and Deputy Director-General of the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies (IWAAS), explained that the Belt and Road Initiative provides an opportunity to strengthen China–Africa cooperation and support development efforts based on the principles of consultation, coordination, and mutual benefit.
Dr. Ahmed Kandil, Deputy Director of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, noted that Egypt’s geographic location positions it to play an important role within the initiative.
He emphasized the importance of ensuring that joint projects are based on the actual development priorities of African countries and that their outcomes are measured by the tangible benefits they deliver to their populations.
For his part, Professor Wang Chen, Deputy Director of the Institute of International Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, stressed that emerging technologies and the transformation of production patterns and global balances make it necessary to develop areas of China–Africa cooperation in ways that help both sides address new global challenges.
Dr. Amani El-Tawil, African affairs expert and Director of the African Program at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that international transformations are reshaping maps of influence across the continent. She noted that Egyptian–Chinese relations offer a model of cooperation and that Egypt’s position and capabilities qualify it to serve as a launchpad for expanding Chinese cooperation with Africa. She stressed that industrialization should be given a prominent place among the priorities of the next phase.
Dr. Li Yincai, Associate Professor at the Institute of International Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that the scale of existing relations and investments between China and Africa provides a strong foundation for expanding cooperation, while emphasizing the importance of jointly addressing challenges and developing partnership frameworks that serve mutual interests.
Concluding the first session, Ambassador Omar Abu Aish, former Assistant Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, emphasized that industrialization and the development of joint value chains are among the most important areas of cooperation in the next phase. He called for strengthening connectivity among ports, factories, and markets across the African continent and leveraging Chinese expertise in energy storage and transmission.
The second session, titled “Capacity Building and People-to-People Connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative,” focused on the importance of expanding the partnership beyond project implementation to knowledge transfer, skills development, and stronger humanitarian and cultural cooperation.
During the session, the Vice President of the Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences, Dr. Yang Jian, presented Shenzhen’s experience in transforming from a border town into a global city through the development of an innovation ecosystem and the utilization of talent, along with a number of Egypt–China cooperation models that could serve as a basis for exchanging expertise.
Dr. Hassan Ragab, Executive Director of the Confucius Institute at Suez Canal University, emphasized the importance of aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with countries’ national priorities and shifting the focus from project implementation toward capacity building and skills development to ensure sustainable development impact.
Dr. Wu Chuanhua, Deputy Executive Director of the IWAAS at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, highlighted the importance of basing cooperation on respect for countries’ specific circumstances, needs, and priorities, while strengthening people-to-people exchanges as one of the foundations supporting a sustainable partnership.
Professor Nasser Abdel Aal, Professor of Linguistics and Translation at the Faculty of Al-Alsun, explained that the Belt and Road Initiative has contributed to shifting China–Africa relations from broad frameworks of cooperation toward the implementation of tangible projects and the expansion of development-oriented partnership areas.
Concluding the discussions, Professor Zheng Fucai, Professor at the International Cooperation Office of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized that China, Egypt, and African countries share historical and cultural ties that provide an important foundation for strengthening people-to-people exchanges and dialogue among civilizations, as well as reinforcing the foundations of a long-term partnership among the three sides.
