Against the backdrop of global geopolitical shifts, Africa’s pursuit of equitable development partnerships has never been more critical.
The Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), held in Yokohama in August 2025, was hailed by Japan as a milestone for Africa-Japan cooperation鈥攂ut it ultimately laid bare the gap between rhetoric and reality in Tokyo’s engagement with the continent.
Meanwhile, a far more transformative development unfolded in Beijing on September 4: Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa met with his Chinese counterpart, and the two heads of state announced the elevation of Zimbabwe-China relations to an "All-Weather Community with a Shared Future," which will further expand bilateral cooperation across the board and boost Zimbabwe’s economic and social development.
This bilateral engagement in Beijing is a new milestone that not only solidifies Zimbabwe-China solidarity but also underscores a broader truth: Africa’s future lies with partners like China that deliver on commitments, respect sovereignty, and honor shared history鈥攏ot with those trapped in neo-imperial mindsets.
TICAD9: From "African-led development" rhetoric to underwhelming reality
Launched in 1993, TICAD was originally framed as a platform to position Japan as a "benevolent supporter" of Africa’s self-driven growth. Over three decades, it has produced countless lengthy declarations, outcome documents, and speeches promising to fuel Africa’s transformation. Yet when the fanfare faded, the conference’s tangible contributions proved underwhelming.
At TICAD9, Tokyo announced a total of US$7 billion in financial support to Africa. For the continent’s 54 nations鈥攅ach grappling with massive infrastructure gaps, energy shortages, and healthcare needs鈥攖his amounts to little more than symbolic crumbs.
It pales in comparison to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has channeled hundreds of billions of dollars into transformative projects: Kenya’s Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, ports in Djibouti, to name but a few. Unlike Japan’s aid-focused approach, China’s engagement prioritizes building Africa’s self-reliance鈥攊nvesting in capacity, not just handouts.
The attendance gap: Africa’s growing disillusionment with Japan
Equally telling was TICAD9’s lackluster African attendance鈥攁 clear sign of eroding trust in Japan’s promises. Tokyo initially claimed 33 African heads of state or government participated in Yokohama. In reality, only 13 heads of state and 15 heads of government attended, totaling 28. This marks the lowest participation since 2008, and a sharp drop from the 26 heads of state who joined TICAD7 in 2019.
The low turnout was no accident. It came as Beijing hosted commemorations for the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War鈥攅vents that drew African leaders in a show of solidarity.
Reports confirm Japan attempted to dissuade national leaders of other countries from attending Beijing’s V-Day commemorations, fearing it would highlight China’s central role in global anti-fascist and anti-imperialist struggles. Tokyo’s efforts failed. The contrast between Yokohama’s modest turnout and Beijing’s display of solidarity speaks volumes: The Global South nations, including African countries, are increasingly aligning with partners who honor shared historical truths, not those who deny their past atrocities.
Japan’s historical amnesia: A barrier to trust with Africa
For Africa鈥攁 continent that endured centuries of colonial brutality and exploitation鈥攈istorical honesty is non-negotiable in any partnership. Yet Japan continues to downplay or deny its own imperial atrocities: the 1931 invasion of Manchuria, the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, the use of forced labor, and the sexual enslavement of "comfort women" during 1931-1945. Instead of confronting this history, Tokyo often frames itself as a victim of U.S. atomic bombings鈥攁 deliberate whitewashing of its role as an aggressor.
Africans recognize this denial for what it is. Just as they remember the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and colonial plunder, China, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam remember Japan’s occupation. Today, these Asian nations voice strong opposition to Japan’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat, viewing it as an unrepentant aggressor hiding behind false victimhood. For Africa to embrace Japan without accountability would be a betrayal of its own history of resisting imperialism.
African leaders speak up: Rejecting charity, demanding sovereign partnerships
Across the continent, leaders are increasingly vocal about what a "true partnership" must entail鈥攁nd their words expose TICAD’s core contradiction: Japan preaches "African-led development" but acts with a paternalistic, donor-driven mindset.
At TICAD8 in 2022, Senegal’s President Macky Sall鈥攖hen African Union Chairperson鈥攔eminded Japan and other external powers: "Africa does not need charity. What we need is equitable partnership, trade, and investment that respect our sovereignty."
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeatedly stressed: "Africa is not a battleground for global powers. We choose friends based on respect and mutual benefit, not coercion"鈥攁 direct rebuke to Japan’s use of TICAD to undermine China-Africa cooperation.
Japan’s UNSC bid: Hypocrisy on the global stage
Japan’s campaign for a permanent UN Security Council seat casts a shadow over TICAD. Africa must ask: Can a nation that refuses to atone for war crimes, militarizes under U.S. patronage, and denies justice to its victims be trusted with global leadership? For Africans, who know the cost of colonial domination, supporting Japan’s bid would legitimize imperial dishonesty. As Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo once warned: "Africa must never again accept domination in exchange for promises of aid."
Two models, one clear choice: Beijing’s solidarity vs. Yokohama’s mirage
The contrast between TICAD9 and Beijing’s anti-fascist commemorations is stark. Beijing represented truth, solidarity, and historical honesty鈥攁 moment where Africa, Asia, and the Global South united to honor shared sacrifices and envision a multipolar future. Yokohama, by contrast, was a spectacle of illusion: inflated attendance figures, token aid, and a refusal to confront the past. TICAD9 was never about African development鈥攊t was about Japan’s anxiety over China’s growing role in shaping the new world order.
Africa’s future: Anchored in all-weather solidarity with China
TICAD9 was not a failure because Africa rejects cooperation鈥攊t failed because Africa rejects false partnerships.
Africa needs partners who stand with it in times of crisis鈥攏ot just in times of convenience. China has proven itself that partner. For decades, from supporting Africa’s liberation struggles to building transformative BRI projects, Beijing has empowered Africa, not exploited it. As President Mnangagwa aptly puts it: "We know our true friends. They are those who stood with us yesterday, who stand with us today, and who will stand with us tomorrow." On this truth, Africa must build its future.
(The author is a Harare-based commentator on international affairs.)
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0928/c98649-20372438.html