Refer China: CEIBS forum focuses on building bridges between China and Africa

Highlights from the Building Bridges: Sino-Africa Healthcare Cooperation Forum.

In recent years, deepening collaboration between China and African nations in public health and healthcare has become an integral part of their shared economic development journey. Against this backdrop, the "Building Bridges: Sino-Africa Healthcare Cooperation Forum," convened on November 2 on CEIBS' Beijing Campus, jointly organised by the Embassy of Nigeria in Beijing and CEIBS, and co-hosted by the CEIBS Global EMBA Programme, AFKMED, and VCBeat.

The forum brought together over 150 participants, including government officials from China and Africa, representatives from public health institutions, medical experts, and industry leaders. They collectively explored new pathways to enhance China-Africa health policy coordination, drive shared medical resource utilisation, and foster innovative cooperation.

Opening Addresses – Shaping the Dialogue on Shared Healthcare Ambitions

Professor of Economics, Associate Dean and Director of GEMBA Programme Bala Ramasamy

Professor Bala Ramasamy, Associate Dean and Director of the Global EMBA Programme at CEIBS, served as moderator. He extended a warm welcome to all guests and attendees, highlighting the need for deeper collaboration between both nations:

"China and Africa share a long history of friendship, mutual support, and growing economic partnership," Prof. Ramasamy said. "From the Belt and Road Initiative to the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), these nations are working together to promote inclusive growth and sustainable development. Healthcare stands at the heart of this partnership – as we face global health challenges, the need for shared knowledge, capacity building, and public–private collaboration has never been greater."

Dingbo Xu, Essilor Chair Professor in Accounting and Associate Dean, CEIBS.
Jimmy Ebi Patrick, Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Nigeria in Beijing.
Meiqi Hu, Deputy Director General of the International Health Exchange and Cooperation Centre, National Health Commission, P. R. China.

CEIBS Professor in Accounting, Essilor Chair in Accounting and Associate Dean Dingbo Xu

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dingbo Xu, Essilor Chair Professor in Accounting and Associate Dean at CEIBS, stressed that healthcare cooperation is a crucial part of the China-Africa partnership. With Africa's population rapidly increasing and the demand for high-quality medical services on the rise, collaboration between Chinese and African enterprises in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and digital health is thriving. This partnership has moved beyond traditional aid and trade to focus on sustainable development through innovation and capacity building. Since establishing its campus in Accra, Ghana, in 2008, CEIBS has become a key bridge linking China and Africa, promoting knowledge sharing and cultural understanding.

Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Nigeria in Beijing Jimmy Ebi Patrick

Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Nigeria in Beijing Jimmy Ebi Patrick then delivered remarks, in which emphasised the longstanding close and friendly relations between Nigeria and China, which were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024. Several cooperation agreements were signed, laying a robust foundation for collaboration, particularly in the healthcare sector. He highlighted the ongoing need for fostering technological exchange and innovation to collectively address global public health challenges.

Deputy Director General of the International Health Exchange and Cooperation Centre of China's National Health Commission Meiqi Hu

Meiqi Hu, Deputy Director General of the International Health Exchange and Cooperation Centre, National Health Commission, P. R. China, then proposed three cooperation suggestions during her address: deepening collaboration in the health industry, enhancing academic and policy exchanges, and strengthening talent cultivation and mutual visits. Her argument was that following all three pathways would improve the coordination between Chinese and African healthcare leaders in sharing medical equipment, technology and expertise, boosting the sustainable development of both nations' health industries.

The main forum agenda then followed in three parts, moving from a macro industry view to micro-level considerations. Part one explored the landscape of China-Africa relations; Part two focused on the opportunities and challenges for Chinese enterprises in Africa's healthcare sector; while Part three addressed the practical and corporate social responsibility considerations for individual companies operating in these sectors.

Part 1: China-Africa Relations: Past, Present, and Future

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Federal Republic of Nigeria H.E. Muhammad Ali Pate

H.E. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, delivered a keynote speech entitled "Nigeria in Focus: A Strategic Overview – Policy and Prospects." In it, he examined the many areas of overlap in Chinese and African healthcare development efforts, highlighting how deeper collaboration could produce new opportunities for mutually beneficial investments, technology sharing and market development.

"Given China's great experience in accelerated development, improving Africa/Nigeria-China collaboration on healthcare can a win-win for all sides," His Excellency said. "First, the many ties between our nations create collective health risks that are difficult to manage independently. Second, sharing knowledge and experience accelerates learning and facilitates more rapid progress. Third, there are huge opportunities for expanding trade in goods and services between the two sides. Fourth, given China's position, it can help plug major investment gaps, for example, in the case of Nigeria's interest to build Medical City ecosystems that require major infrastructural investments."

Former Business Officer at the Embassy of Ethiopia and Business Consultant at the Embassy of Mozambique Zhuo Huang

Closely following the theme of mutually beneficial partnership, Zhuo Huang, Former Business Officer at the Embassy of Ethiopia and Business Consultant at the Embassy of Mozambique, then delivered a keynote speech on "China-Africa Win-Win Partnership: The Economics of Mutual Benefit." Mr Huang systematically analysed Africa's industrial characteristics in the context of China-Africa economic and trade relations. He highlighted that 53 out of 54 African countries, representing a total population of 1.4 billion, have established diplomatic relations with China. . As of 2024, bilateral trade between China and Africa has reached nearly $300 billion, with China having been Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years. Looking ahead, he asserted that China and Africa will likely deepen their cooperation, particularly in the new energy, e-commerce, and healthcare sectors, which are central to Africa's sustainable development.

Roundtable discussion one

In a subsequent roundtable discussion moderated by Professor Ramasamy, H.E. Muhammad Ali Pate and Mr. Zhuo Huang delved into topics such as China's image and cooperation opportunities in Africa, African manufacturing development trends, and advice for Chinese enterprises looking to invest in Africa. Minister Pate highlighted that China's popularity in Africa is rooted in people-to-people exchanges and long-term partnerships built on equality, mutual trust, and a desire for genuine cooperation. He stressed the need for Africa to attract more manufacturing investments through policy reforms, improved regulations, and talent development. Drawing on his extensive field experience, Mr. Huang noted the vast investment potential of Africa, while cautioning companies to carefully consider any local policy environment and cultural disparities, and to conduct thorough research before finalising any deal.

Part 2: Navigating Africa's Healthcare Market: Overcoming Challenges, Seizing Opportunities

Roundtable discussion two

The roundtable discussion in the second segment of the event was moderated by Delan Ren (CEIBS Global EMBA 2018), Deputy General Manager of the Retail Business Development Centre at SPH and Secretary General of CAHA. The panellists were Xiaohui Zhang, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation at CCCMHPIE; Yang Yang, Managing Director of China-Africa Lekki Investment Ltd; Rainy Liu (CEIBS Global EMBA 2016), Founder of AFKMED; Liping Miao, General Manager of Wuxi Yushou Medical Appliances Co., Ltd.; and Yiyun Hu, Researcher at the National Centre for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, China CDC and former Senior Advisor for Africa CDC.

Together, they explored how leading elements of the Chinese healthcare industry can better collaborate with their African counterparts. The panel unanimously agreed that both sides should focus on long-term goals in support of sustainable development. Specific recommendations from individual panellists included clearer policy communication, introduction of mutual standards for product registrations, utilisation of free trade zones to galvanise industrial cooperation, and active leveraging of research institutions for sharing technical expertise and training methodologies.

Part 3: From Responsibility to Shared Benefit: How Public Welfare Partners with Business

Principal Investigator and Professor at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS) Qihui Wang

The final section was moderated by Jin Li, Principal Advisor of the China Global Philanthropy Institute (CGPI). It began with a keynote speech by Qihui Wang, Principal Investigator and Professor at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS), entitled: "From Discovery to Deployment: Advancing Global Public Health Through Innovation." Ms Wang reminded the audience that, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic "pathogens need no visa", emphasising the growing importance of public health cooperation as a means of tackling this shared challenge for all humanity.

Chairman of the Chigari Foundation Nisser Umar

Nisser Umar, Chairman of the Chigari Foundation, then delivered a keynote address on "The Role of Philanthropy in Africa's Public Health." He highlighted the positives of philanthropy in supporting Africa's public health system, notably in combating HIV/AIDS, improving medical infrastructure, and advancing health data management. However, Mr. Umar also acknowledged that the philanthropic model is a double-edged sword; while saving lives, it may ultimately weaken a government's leadership and focus regarding its responsibility as a guardian of public health.

"Despite its benefits, the philanthropic model is not without significant drawbacks that can undermine its long-term impact – funding imbalances, accountability issues, the politicisation of public health, and the distortion of national health priorities are all potential obstacles to its efficacy. For philanthropy to maximise its positive impact and minimise its negative side effects, the future lies in 'systems-thinking' philanthropy that aligns with and strengthens public systems rather than operating parallel to them," said Mr. Umar.

Roundtable discussion three

The final roundtable discussion, chaired by Jin Li, brought together Qihui Wang, Nisser Umar, Prof. Jinfeng Ding (Associate Professor and Director of the Office of International Exchange and Cooperation at Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University), Shan Shu (representative of Chinese Medical Volunteers), and Huidan Zheng (Director-General of One Heart Sphere Charity Foundation). The panel centred on the theme "Globalising Public Welfare".

Huidan Zheng outlined how her organisation has promoted the localisation of Chinese medical technologies in Indonesia through medical aid projects, exploring pathways for public welfare to enable commercial development; Dr. Shan Shu shared experiences of Chinese volunteer doctors providing surgical assistance in Ethiopia, which also helped introduce Chinese medical devices into the local market; Professor Ding Jinfeng emphasised that public welfare should maximise public benefit while fostering equality and mutual learning in China–Africa health cooperation; Qihui Wang highlighted the importance of talent development and localised training for enterprises to deepen their engagement in Africa; and Nisser Umar underscored that community involvement is essential to the sustainability of public welfare projects.

Across these keynote speeches and panel discussions, a central theme emerged: China-Africa health cooperation is moving beyond traditional aid towards a model of co-creation, and beyond the one-way flow of support towards mutual empowerment. In policy coordination, industrial collaboration, and the fusion of public welfare and responsibility, China and Africa are now building their collaborative healthcare efforts on a foundation of greater equality, openness, and innovation. The path ahead leads towards the creation of a mutually trusting, win-win, and future-oriented China-Africa health community.

About the Building Bridges Series

The "Building Bridges" series, launched by the CEIBS Global EMBA programme, delivers an itinerary of seminars and forums held in major cities across China and around the world. It offers valuable insights and strategic guidance to help enterprises navigate an increasingly complex international landscape and achieve lasting success. Truly global in nature, paired events examine the relationship between China and its key trading partners, allies and rivals. These include "China and Southeast Asia", "China and Europe", "China and Sub-Saharan Africa", "China and MENA", and "China and the US," with other key relationships to be examined as part of this expanding series.