Producing development knowledge

WANG XIAOYING/CHINA DAILY

The Dar es Salaam Consensus not only contributes knowledge support for the development of the Global South, but also proposes solutions to major global issues

Development is the eternal theme of human society, a common pursuit shared by all countries, and an important measure of the progress of our times.

In recent years, China has been driving the return of development topics to the center of the international agenda. In order to jointly address the global development deficit, the international community needs to block out the noise from some countries attempting to politicize and marginalize development issues, and it also needs to produce more consensus and more development knowledge.

At the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in March, scholars from China and 50 countries in Africa jointly released the Dar es Salaam Consensus, an exciting achievement in producing new development knowledge and innovating traditional development economics.

As the first international consensus born in the South rather than imposed by the North, it is an example of how, with enhanced awareness of autonomy and development capabilities, the Global South will help African countries and other developing nations find the right path to modernization and gain more international support and resources.

First, the consensus blazes a trail to find a development model endorsed by both China and Africa. One of the highlights of the Dar es Salaam Consensus is its emphasis on giving priority to development and exploring independent, people-centered paths of mutual respect and mutual learning.

Both China and Africa recognize that each country comes with its unique historical and cultural background and therefore needs to explore a modernization model based on its cultural characteristics and development needs. This flexible and pragmatic approach to development not only respects the sovereignty of each country but also avoids the pitfalls caused by the "one-size-fits-all" pattern.

Notably, the consensus calls for people-centered development, which ensures that development is for the people, by the people, and that the fruits of development are shared among all.

This idea aligns with China's people-centered development approach and African countries' goal of inclusive growth. Both China and Africa are well aware that people should not be seen as abstract concepts existing only in statistics and indicators, nor should human rights issues be used as a pretext for interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. Instead, people's rights to live and pursue a better life should be protected through development.

During the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2023, China released the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, which aim to step up efforts in knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and developing high-caliber talent, particularly through training youth and women.

For example, to support the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, China has helped train over 3,000 railway technicians, provided over 50,000 jobs in Ethiopia and Djibouti, and handed over the project in May 2024.

Second, the consensus promotes a development model suitable for the Global South. It calls for activating domestic development through effective markets and proactive governments, which addresses the needs and challenges faced by the Global South countries on their development journey.

Western liberal economic theories often suggest a degree of opposition between government and market, believing that in a market economy the government is only responsible for correcting market failures by providing public goods and services. While this view has its merits, it oversimplifies the interplay between the government and the market. In reality, the government plays a far bigger role in promoting economic development.

As stated in the consensus, building efficient, incorruptible and law-based governments helps optimize macroeconomic regulation and public services to stimulate market vitality, and facilitate the industrialization and modernization of agriculture in Africa.

Countries in the Global South increasingly recognize that support from a proactive government is indispensable for new financing models such as public-private partnerships, investment-construction-operation integration and loan-investment coordination, as well as for industrialization pathways such as industrial policies, economic special zones and infrastructure connectivity.

Among all its international development cooperation programs, China pays high attention to the state capacity building of African countries and other developing economies. By providing support in technology, financing, and training, China helps Global South countries better participate in the international division of labor, and secure more advantageous positions in global supply chains, thus enabling industrial and structural upgrades.

Standing at the beginning of the current wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, creating a development model featuring positive interaction between government and market will inject new momentum into emerging markets and developing countries to achieve leapfrog growth.

Third, the consensus sets out proposals to reform global development governance. Committed to extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits, the Dar es Salaam Consensus not only points out the direction for global development governance but also provides actionable reform suggestions.

The consensus calls for promoting the building of an equal and orderly multipolar world and advancing universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

This helps reduce global disparities in wealth and urges developed countries to fulfill their commitments in development aid and climate financing, so that all countries, all social strata, and all groups can share the opportunities brought by economic globalization and benefit from fairer and more reasonable global governance.

Specifically, China and Africa agree to increase capital for multilateral development banks, such as the World Bank, to improve their financial conditions and enhance their financing capabilities. They will also increase the share and voting rights of emerging markets and developing countries in the International Monetary Fund, establish a third executive director seat for African countries, and fully consider the interests of the least developed countries in Special Drawing Rights allocations.

Additionally, considering the potential biases and unfair evaluations by Western rating agencies, the consensus proposes exploring the establishment of a fair and objective international credit rating agency within the frameworks of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, BRICS and other cooperative mechanisms.

These measures will support developing countries to better participate in shaping global development governance and enjoy the benefits of global development.

The Dar es Salaam Consensus not only contributes knowledge support for the development of the Global South, but also proposes solutions to major global issues and challenges. Moving forward, it is imperative to further amplify the influence of the Consensus so that collaborations on development knowledge will turn into collaborations on development actions, and ideas will turn into policies and projects so as to advance the high-quality, sustainable development of the world economy.

The author is an assistant researcher with the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily.The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.