Megatrends Afrika posted on 16 September 2024 a commentary titled "FOCAC 2024: Moving Away from Large Infrastructure Deals towards Normative Power of China" by Hangwei Li and Christine Hackenesch.
FOCAC 2024 shifted away from large-scale infrastructure deals towards "small yet beautiful" projects, thereby responding to international criticism on debt sustainability, and reflecting China's own economic slowdown. FOCAC also demonstrated how China is increasingly positioning itself as a normative power in Africa, emphasizing its own modernization experiences as a potential model for African countries. FOCAC stressed Xi Jinping's concept of "shared future" with Africa and China's "shared past" with the continent.
