China Prepared for Higher Level of Cooperation with Africa

In tune with the meeting in Johannesburg, of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which President Xi Jinping and his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma are co-chairing, China, has elaborated on its collective approach towards Africa.

Over the past 15 years trade between China and Africa has skyrocketed from $10 billion to $220 billion and that six years in a row China has been Arica’s largest trading partner.

“The visit and the China-Africa summit definitely symbolise that relations have reached a new and historic high”, said He Wenping, an expert on Africa at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “Priorities will be given to address two major bottlenecks constraining Africa’s development, namely the backward infrastructure and the lack of professionals”, he said.

“The upcoming summit in South Africa highlights the strong relationship between China and Africa, and I am happy to be a part of the discussions around how all Chinese and Africans can work together to ensure sustainable development in Africa”, Wang remarked. There are more than 3 000 Chinese companies running their business in Africa.

“(The) slide in trade between China and Africa is not due to falling demand but falling resource prices. It was a clear demonstration that China remains a superpower in its influence in Africa.

“We remain committed to seeking the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and consultation, and China supports Africa in its efforts to solve African problems through African solutions”, they said in the declaration. “It is them (the West) who plundered Africa and they are still doing so up to now”.

The Chairperson of African Commission, Dr Nkozasana Zuma, also commended China for its assistance to the continent.

He quoted the president as stressing that “Africa expects Chinese investment flows to the real sector of our economies to promote African enterprises”.

On Friday the summit exhibited photos showing FOCAC achievements and also held a China-Africa manufacturing exhibition.

“We welcome China’s support for our determination to transform our countries’ economies, through an industrialisation strategy which is driven by beneficiation and value addition of our natural resources and agricultural products”, said President Mugabe.

At Friday’s summit, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, hailed China’s Xi, saying: “Here is a man representing a country once called poor, a country which was never our coloniser”.

Mugabe waxed lyrical in thanking Xi for the large aid package, which the Chinese president unveiled here today at the opening of the summit of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation. China is also keen to continue its long-term investment in building factories and roads.

African countries have also benefited hugely from Chinese foreign aid in recent decades.