By Jenipher Asiimwe (our correspondent in Beijing, China)
Jinhua City in Zhejiang Province, Eastern China, recently hosted the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Economic, Trade and Cultural Cooperation.
While officiating at the monumental event, Zhang Jian, the Mayor ofJinhua city, which is located approximately 780 miles from the capital Beijing, praised the good relations between Africa and China with common interests delivered results.
The trade and investment partnership between China and Africa focusing on Jinhua and Zhejiang Province in general has lasted for over 15 years. Important to note is, Jinhua is the custodian of the China -Africa economic and trade cooperation. He said that the partnership yielded a steady increase of 4.6 billion and 5 billion in China’s investment in trade and investment in Africa respectively.
Wu Yanming, Chairman of China- Africa Business Council, said that the admission of over 700 Africa students to Chinese schools has strengthened the partnerships between China- Africa in the education sector. Schools like the Zhejiang Institute of African studies have been established .The improved relationship between the two correlates with the strategic relations building between Africa and China announced by President Xi Jinping at FOCAC in September this year. Xi also emphasized the strengthening of major income generating initiatives for modernization and asked Chinese companies to focus on the production and investment in what Africa needs and what can be provided .
Wu encouraged businessmen in Zhejiang to increase their investment in Africa regardless of the region and encouraged Zhejiang University and African partners to build tourism, medical sectors to promote people to people exchange.
Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman, the Permanent Representative of the African Union to China, encouraged Chinese investors and businesses to continue investing in Africa, because the continent is not risky as most think, but rather the current number one destination for Green gas opportunities globally. He said Africa has 45 percent of rural energy ,65 percent of uncultivated land, 35 percent of mineral deposits, the most energetic and the number of the global labour force and its Gross Domestic Product by 2060 is predicted at 15 trillion if the right investments are made today.
Godius Walter Kahyaara the PS, Ministry of Transport, Tanzania, who represented President Samia Suluhu, thanked the government of China for the commitment it has made to revitalize the 1860 km TAZARA Railway project that has facilitated trade among Tanzania, Zambia and China through the Port of Dar es Salaam and the construction of the state of the art Dar es Salaam Industrial Park. He said that Africa revives its commitment to cement its cooperation with China and both have gained significant and considerable technological , trade and investment mechanisms aiming at boosting economic development.
He further noted that Tanzania aims at extending the cooperation with China and among these is the construction of the 2700 kilometer new railway line that will connect Tanzania to countries like Burundi and DRC and it is the Chinese companies that have been entrusted with the job. Further still, that the Chinese Government has constructed the Hydro Power project to provide electric supply to most localities generally and there is a plan to link Dar es Salaam port to 7 other countries which among others include Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Burundi.
South African Ambassador thanked the Chinese government for the constant support it has rendered to South Africa . Yiwu is the best trading partner with South Africa and the China-South Africa bilateral relations are stronger than you can imagine. He re-echoed the strength of the win-win Trade, Investment and people to people exchange partnerships since 1998 when the Republic of South Africa established its embassy in China . That since then the investment raised to 1billion in 2015 to 5.6 bn USD in 2023.
He announced the priority sectors for the China and Africa partnership include Green Hydrogen, energy storage, infrastructure, people to people exchanges, education, health, cultural exchanges, capacity building and asked China to continue investing in high tech in South Africa and Africa at large to eliminate poverty and narrow the gap between the rural and urban income on the continent. South Africa is ready to directly put to use the 360 bn USD grant announced by the People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping aimed at modernization of Africa in 2 years.
Oba Rodger Emmanuel, the Charge d’Affairs at the Democratic Republic of Congo Embassy in China, emphasized on the implementation of the action plans of the FOCAC 2024 conference and thanked the progress the China –DRC relations have made especially on capacity building in different sectors of the economy and people-to-people exchange. He made a commitment to implement the plan in the next 3 years as their commitment to boost Africa’s contribution to a community of a shared future, a brain child of China aiming at boosting economic development in LDC with which she has diplomatic ties.
Liu Yuxi, the China Government Representative on African Affairs, noted that the wonderful performance at the famous Wu Opera attended by over 400 guests of the forum is one of the ways that China has made its cultural heritage and preservation prowess to the entire world. The recently-held China Africa Youth Festival in Zhejiang was a supplement to the promotion and exhibition of Chinese modernization and civilization to the world. FOCAC 2024 marked a significant cementing of the China – Africa relations and believes that every desire of this notable summit will come to realization. He emphasized the strengthening of the people to people communication and the Africa China mutual learning of China- Africa Civilization.
Zhu Chonglie , the secretary CPC Jinhua Municipal Committee, in his address noted that the relations between the two sides transcend time and space and encouraged the exchange visits between both parties to learn deeper and deeper about the relevance of this partnership. He encouraged Chinese investors to continue investing in Africa and celebrating the African people because the continent is one of China’s honest partners. He stressed the need for Zhejiang to utilize this opportunity as the major frontier for the China- Africa Cooperation.
Alfred Burimaso, the First Counselor at the Burundi Embassy in China re-echoed the need for further strengthening China- Africa partnerships especially in commercialization because Burundi has a lot to offer regarding trade and investment specifically in the agricultural sector
The events participants witnessed the release of research achievements on Africa by Zhejiang Normal University represented by Liu Hongwu ,General Director with the Institute of African Studies, and the signing of various Africa- China trade and investment partnerships which included the unveiling of the China-Africa(Jinhua) Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Park, the first batch of enterprises officially settled in the Yiwu China-Africa Building.
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