China is ready to share with Africa its experience on poverty reduction and agricultural development, enhance agricultural cooperation with Africa and help Africa train technical and managerial personnel on agriculture. We hope poverty reduction will help Africa achieve sustainable development and bring the African people a more dignified life.
China and Africa will strengthen industrial and commercial cooperation and promote Africa’s industrialization and manufacturing sector. Africa has entered the fast track of growth and its modernization process is gaining momentum. China is ready to bring into full play its advantages and take an active part in Africa’s infrastructure development so as to promote connectivity on the African continent. Through infrastructure building, we will promote industrial cooperation and help Africa to focus on developing labour-intensive manufacturing, which will create jobs and boost consumption. China will also create new ways of investment and financing cooperation to help Africa address the funding shortfalls. During the visit, the two sides will sign cooperation agreements in such areas as road, railway, aviation and electric power.
China and Africa will enhance cooperation in human resources and eco-environment so as to sustain the momentum of Africa’s long-term development. Africa has the biggest potential in human resources. China is ready to train more professionals of multiple types for African countries, and provide more vocational education tailored for African young people, so as to help Africa fully and durably unleash the population dividends. As one saying goes, the key to people-to-people exchanges lies in heart-to-heart communication. China will roll out a series of projects on people-to-people exchanges and cooperation to enrich exchanges between the two peoples and promote mutual understanding and friendship. Green has always been the true colour of Africa. China will have closer cooperation with Africa in this field and provide funding to promote Africa’s efforts to protect its wild animal resources and address the challenges of climate change, so that a beautiful China and a beautiful Africa will go hand in hand as we assist each other in development.
Q: In recent years, there have been some media reports about imbalance in China-Africa trade, substandard Chinese exports to Africa, and violation of local labour regulations by Chinese companies. How do you view such problems in China-Africa cooperation?
A: As China-Africa relations grow rapidly in all areas, companies of the two sides have encountered “growing pains” and some new problems in their cooperation that call for proper settlement. The Chinese government takes these issues very seriously. Instead of dodging or covering them up, China is willing to sit down with African countries and resolve these issues through earnest consultation in the spirit of mutual respect, pragmatism and efficiency. Here, let me reiterate that China will continue to carry out cooperation with Africa under the principle of sincerity, equality and mutual benefit, and urge Chinese companies to strictly abide by local laws and regulations, hold themselves accountable to the quality of the contracted projects and goods and to consumers and shoulder due responsibility to local communities and the environment. At the same time, I call on relevant African countries to strengthen market regulation and public security measures and protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies in Africa and the safety of their employees.
About The Author
