China’s Xi cheers African leaders with pledge of $60 billion development aid

Themed “Africa-China Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development”, the summit is the second of its kind under the 15-year-old framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which groups China, 50 African countries that have established diplomatic ties with China, and the Commission of the African Union.

China will not be drawn into arranging “special security” for its citizens doing business in Africa because they are not a “prime targets”, the country’s special representative on African affairs, Ambassador Zhong Jianhua said on Friday.

Just recently, the president of Nigeria, Buhari was in Ghana.

“We support the active participation of Chinese enterprises in Africa’s infrastructure development in areas such as railways, roads, regional aviation, ports, electricity and telecommunications to enhance Africa’s capacity for sustainable development, ‘ he said”.

President Muhammadu Buhari pledged on Friday in Johannesburg, South Africa that his administration will take necessary actions to correct lapses which have hindered the implementation of agreements signed with China under past administrations for the development of rail transportation in Nigeria.

China and Africa now are facing a rare historic opportunity of cooperation and development, he said, noting China has set its new development prospect in the coming years and the two sides have respective advantages in cooperation.

The summit’s opening session, held at a convention centre in Johannesburg, was reminiscent of Chinese Communist Party congresses in Beijing, with rows of dark-suited officials applauding every speech in unison in a cavernous hall. A country which never was our coloniser …

“It has proved a pragmatic partnership, focusing on industrial and financial co-operation, poverty reduction, cultural exchanges and peace and security. It reflects the strength of our fraternal relations, and our commitment to go boldly together into the future”.

Even as the cooperation between Africa and China grow to higher levels, President Kenyatta called for its entrenchment, particularly through focac.

“These plans (are) aimed at addressing three issues holding back Africa’s development, namely inadequate infrastructure, lack of professional and skilled personnel and funding shortages”, said Xi, who this week also visited Zimbabwe. “We also recognise that China has been one of our key trading and investment partners”, he said.

This amount is three times the aid package which China presented to Africa at the last Focac conference in 2012 in Beijing.