ADDIS ABABA, June 11 (Xinhua/GNA) – Officials and experts from China and African countries, on Thursday called for deepening bilateral cooperation in energy development to ensure a sustainable, affordable and reliable power supply and to address disruptions to oil shipments caused by global tensions, particularly the crisis in the Middle East.
The call was made at the 2026 China-Africa Think Tank Energy Forum, held in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, under the theme “Strengthening China-Africa Energy Diplomacy in a Turbulent World.”
Speaking at the event, Jiang Feng, head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU), said China and Africa need to build a mutually beneficial and win-win energy partnership, to ensure a sustainable power supply.
“In response to Africa’s pressing energy needs, China-Africa energy cooperation should focus on exploring renewable energy resources, introducing low-carbon technologies, supporting Africa’s oil-refining capacity, and building robust power grids to ensure an effective energy supply across the continent,” Jiang said.
He added that China is willing to share its experience and help Africa, tap into its abundant energy resources while improving access to modern and reliable energy sources.
Erastus Mwencha, former deputy chairperson of the AU Commission and current chairperson of the Board of Equity Bank Kenya, said China and Africa should advance clean energy generation and reduce overdependence on hydrocarbons, by leveraging existing cooperation frameworks.
He noted that the energy cooperation framework adopted at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, together with its action plan, provides a strong institutional foundation for responding to the current global energy crisis.
Mwencha noted that the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East, had subjected African nations to the most severe global energy security challenges, adding that the existing China-Africa energy cooperation, could serve as an active instrument to de-risk the existing and future global energy crisis.
Islam Swaleh, head of the Entrepreneurship and Investment Division at the AU Commission, said the convergence of Africa’s resource endowments and China’s technological capabilities, presented an unprecedented opportunity for strategic partnership.
“The first priority of China-Africa energy diplomacy should be strengthening resilience. Disruptions to oil supplies witnessed in recent years have highlighted the importance of diversified energy supply chains, regional integration, and interconnected infrastructure systems,” Swaleh said.
He added that future China-Africa energy cooperation must focus not only on electricity generation, but also on building domestic capabilities that create jobs, strengthen industries, and support long-term structural transformation.
The 2026 China-Africa Think Tank Energy Forum, organized by the Africa Policy Institute, attracted nearly 100 experts and scholars from China and Africa.
GNA