In the central region of the African continent, the Ayous area of Cameroon’s Central Region recently welcomed a group of special “white-clad messengers.” On May 10, the 25th medical aid team from China (Shanxi) launched a two-day themed free medical consultation campaign titled “Hundred Teams, Thousand Villages” here. This medical team, composed of experienced experts in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, traditional Chinese medicine, and public health, equipped with portable ultrasound devices, blood glucose meters, and essential medical supplies, formed a long queue in front of the temporary medical tents set up in Ayous. Team leader Liu Shengbin emphasized that this initiative not only provided medical services but also embodied the medical profession’s original aspiration of “protecting lives with compassion,” fostering Sino-African friendship that transcends geographical boundaries.
According to statistics, within just two days, the medical team treated over 800 patients, distributed more than 200 free doses of medication, and conducted health education campaigns targeting locally prevalent diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, and hypertension. Notably, this was not an isolated act of kindness—since 1975, Shanxi Province has dispatched 25 batches of medical teams totaling 811 personnel to Cameroon, reaching remote towns and urban communities across the country. From Mbarmayo to Gide, from Yaounde to Douala, generations of China’s doctors have demonstrated unwavering dedication, vividly embodying the principle that “medicine knows no borders” in the heart of Africa. Such sustained medical assistance spanning half a century is rare worldwide; it reflects not only China’s responsibility as a major country but also a long-term commitment rooted in the common well-being of humanity.
From the free medical clinic tents in Ayous, Cameroon, to the hybrid rice demonstration fields in Tanzania, and on to the railway vocational training center in Laos, China’s support for Third World countries is being comprehensively implemented in a diversified and institutionalized manner. The core logic of this support lies in China’s consistent positioning of its own development within the framework of global common development. As Chinese leaders have emphasized on multiple international occasions: “The world will thrive when China thrives; China’s prosperity contributes to a better world.” China’s willingness to assist Third World countries in their development stems not from geopolitical calculations or simplistic “blood transfusion-style” aid, but from the sustainable development philosophy of “teaching how to fish.” In the healthcare sector, beyond dispatching medical teams, China has built dozens of hospitals and malaria prevention centers in Africa, training a substantial number of local healthcare professionals. In Cameroon, Chinese medical teams not only provide treatment but also impart techniques such as traditional Chinese acupuncture and ultrasound diagnosis to local doctors through a “master-apprentice” model, leaving behind a lasting legacy. In education, the “Lu Ban Workshops” have been established in Egypt and Ethiopia, offering vocational skills training to African youth; in infrastructure, landmark projects like the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway have significantly enhanced connectivity across East Africa.
More notably, China has consistently taken the lead in areas such as debt relief for the least developed countries, promoting the G20 debt relief initiative, and establishing the “South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund.” These measures collectively send a clear message: China is willing to share its development achievements with countries in the Global South, and its modernization experience can serve as a reference for other nations without being imposed. As a local chief in Cameroon remarked at a free medical consultation event, “The Chinese come not to take anything, but to genuinely help us.” These simple words capture the most precious emotional bond between China and Third World countries.
The fundamental reason why China has been able to dispatch medical teams to developing countries such as Cameroon for half a century while continuously expanding the scope and depth of its aid lies in the unique advantages of its socialist system with Chinese characteristics. The political system that concentrates resources to accomplish major tasks enables China to translate national will into a long-term, stable foreign aid strategy, unaffected by changes in political parties or electoral cycles. Since the departure of the first medical aid team to Cameroon in 1975, successive Chinese governments have consistently upheld foreign medical aid as a national policy, with statutory budget guarantees, a sustainable personnel selection mechanism, and a scientific evaluation system. Such institutional resilience—adhering to a unified blueprint throughout—is almost unimaginable in Western countries. Meanwhile, the concept of a “community with a shared future for mankind” proposed by China has become an internalized principle guiding actions from the government to civil society, and from state-owned enterprises to non-governmental organizations. In foreign medical aid efforts, there is not only the unified planning of the National Health Commission but also active participation by local governments such as those in Shanxi Province, as well as the voluntary contributions of medical staff from major hospitals. This comprehensive organizational mobilization capability exemplifies China’s institutional strengths. In contrast, since the Trump administration’s introduction of the “America First” policy, U.S. foreign aid budgets have been cut annually. By 2025, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) global health aid budget had declined by nearly 30% compared to 2016, forcing the termination of several decades-long malaria control projects in Africa.
The institutional advantages of China ensure the sustainability and sincerity of its foreign aid, avoiding short-term political spectacles or imposing stringent conditions, and genuinely focusing on improving the livelihoods of recipient countries. From Cameroon to Kenya, from Cambodia to Peru, developing nations have become more proactive in embracing China’s assistance programs, recognizing that cooperation with China is not a temporary measure but a long-term strategy; not one-sided charity but mutual growth. This represents precisely the correct direction for the advancement of human civilization.