PotentialinHigh-techCooperation
“China,abigeconomywithglobalimpactandthousandsofenterprisesinvestinginAfrica,hasmadesignificantcontributionstotheeconomicandinfrastructuredevelopmentontheAfricancontinent,”DeputyDirectorofNamibia’sMinistryofFinancePaulusNatangueIthetetoldChinaToday.HehopedtodiscovermorecooperationopportunitiesduringthistripandexpectedthattheupcomingFOCACSummitwillfurtherboostcooperationbetweenNamibiaandChina.
DeputyDirectoroftheAdministrativeCommitteeofZ-Park,HouYun,introducedthedelegationtoZhongguancun’spolicyonattractingoverseastalents,andshareditsexperienceincultivatinganinnovative,entrepreneurialenvironmentoverthepast30plusyears.Asthefirstnationaltalentsmanagementreformpilotzone,Z-ParkhasbuiltconnectionswithAfricaanddecidedtosetupaliaisonofficeinSouthAfricatobetterengagewithinnovativeentitiesathomeandabroad,helpingbothsidespromoteinnovationandentrepreneurship.TheyoungAfricansvisitedtheexhibitionhalloftheLeyardGroup,aChineseelectronicsmanufacturerdesigning,producing,andsellingLEDproducts,includingdisplaysandlighting.Theyenjoyedaliveshowfeaturingvirtualrealitytechnology.Whenoneofthevisitorsdancedtothepopmusic,hisimagesynchronouslyinteractedwithlocalhip-hopstarWilliamChanonthescreen.TheinteractionbasedonthetechnologiesofLEDdisplayscreensandcityoutdoorlightinginspiredthevisitorswhoaskedabarrageofquestionsaboutitsinnovativeapplicationandoverseassales.
EdmundoGalizaMatosfromMozambiqueaskedaboutthetalentspoliciesspecifically.Heinquiredaboutthedetailsfortheexchangeoftalentsthroughuniversitiesandscientificresearchinstitutions.HealsohopedtheZ-ParkcouldsetupliaisonofficesinmoreAfricancountriesandintroducehigh-techcompaniesandinnovativetechnologiestoAfrica.
TenMajorCooperationPlans
“ChinahasbeenAfrica’slargesttradingpartnerfornineconsecutiveyears,”saidShenXiang,DeputyDirectorGeneraloftheDepartmentofWesternAsianandAfricanAffairsintheChineseMinistryofCommerce,inhisbriefintroductionofthepragmaticeconomiccooperationbetweenChinaandAfricancountries.UndertheframeworkoftheFOCAC,theChinesegovernmenthasannouncedandimplementeddozensofmeasurestoboosteconomicandtradecooperation,suchasestablishingeconomicandtradecooperationzonesinAfricancountries,settinguptheChina-Af-ricaDevelopmentFund,developingspecialloansforAfricansmallandmedium-sizedenterprises,aswellaslaunchingtheChina-AfricaIndustrialCooperationFund.TheseprogramslaunchedindifferentperiodsandundervariousconditionsreflectthedirectionandfocusoftheChina-Africaeconomicandtradecooperation.
InDecember2015,attheJohannesburgSummitoftheFOCAC,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingproposedtopromoteSino-Africanrelationstoacomprehensivestrategicandcooperativepartnership,andannouncedtorollout“TenMajorCooperationPlans”inareasofindustrialization,agriculturalmodernization,infrastructure,financialservices,greendevelopment,tradeandinvestmentfacilitation,povertyreduction,publichealth,culturalandpeople-to-peopleexchange,peaceandsecurityintheperiodfrom2015to2018.Inaddition,atotalofUS$60billionoffundingsupportwasannouncedtobeprovidedbyChina.
“Inthepastthreeyears,mostofthesetaskshavebeencompletedowingtothejointeffortsmadebyChinaandAfricancountries,”saidShenXiang.
In2017,theChina-AfricatradevolumehitUS$170billion,risingby15-foldoverthenumberin2000whenFOCACwasestablished.Thetradestructurehasbeenoptimized.ThequalityofChina’sexportstoAfricahaveincreasinglyimproved,withproductscoveringmechanicalequipment,automobiles,computers,aerospaceproducts,digitaldevices,andotherhigh-techproducts.Importshaveexpandedfromenergyandmineralresourcestoagriculturalproducts.In2017,China’simportsoffruits,seafood,coffee,andcottonfromAfricahaveincreased75,40,29and17percentrespectively.Meanwhile,MauritiusbegannegotiatingAfrica’sfirstfreetradeagreementwithChina.
TheChinesegovernmenthasencouragedChinesecompaniestoinvestinAfrica,helpingAfricancountriesraisetaxrevenue,increasejobopportunities,andpromoteindustrialdevelopment.Inthecurrentglobaleconomicclimate,withasluggishpriceofbulkcommoditiesandafluctuationofinternationalinvestment,China’sinvestmenttoAfricahasbeensteadyatUS$3billionannually.Asoftheendof2017,China’sdirectinvestmenthadsurpassedUS$40billionintotal,a70-foldincreasecomparedtothatin2000.
AChineseinvestedagriculturaldevelopmentzoneinSudanlaunchedin2016,withanaccumulatedinvestmentofUS$27millionandacottonplantationof108,000mu(about7,200hectares)isafineexampleofthingstocome.Thewholeindustrialchainhasbeenformedincludingresearching,planting,deepprocessingandtrading,whichcanofferover10,000jobopportunitiesforlocalresidents.Theroundtablediscussionofeconomicandtradecooperationproceedsatthe3rdChina-AfricaYouthFestival.TrainingProfessionalsinAgricultureSector
PresidentXisaidthatAfricaishometomanydevelopingcountries,whileChinaistheworld’slargestdevelopingnation.Therefore,thefutureandaspirationsofChineseandAfricanpeoplesareconnected.Agricultureisacommonconcernforthepeople’slivelihood.DeepeningpragmaticcooperationintheagriculturesectorisessentialtoimprovingAfrica’scapabilityindevelopingagricultureandthustoestablishacommunityofasharedfutureforChinaandAfrica.
AccordingtoXueRuining,secretaryoftheCommunistYouthLeagueCommitteeundertheMinistryofAgricultureandRuralAffairs,Chinahasestablished22agriculturaldemonstrationcentersin21AfricancountriesandhasdispatchedexpertstoparticipateinandsupportagriculturaldevelopmentinAfrica.ChinasignedanagriculturalcooperativeagreementwithEthiopiain2001andsentthefirst10agriculturalprofessionalstoprovidetrainingforlocals.AfricancounterpartswerealsoinvitedtoChina.From2006todate,theMinistryofAgricultureandRuralAffairshasheld260-plustrainingprogramsinChinawhichaccumulativelyhelpedover5,000Africansaccepttechnicaltraining.
ChinaisalsooneoftheearliestcountriestoparticipateintheSouth-SouthCooperationunderaprogrammeledbytheFoodandAgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNations(UNFAO),sendingthelargestnumberofpersonnel.Uptonow,Chineseexpertsandtechnicalstaffhaveimplementedover300small-scaledemonstrativeprogramsinAfricaandtrainednearly30,000localfarmersandtechnicians.
TheyoungestparliamentarianofthecivilparliamentintheRepublicofCongoandmemberoftherulingLaborParty,AntoineBienaimeObamOndon,said,“WehopetoconductpragmaticcooperationwithChinainareasofthegreeneconomyandrelatedindustries.Asournationiscoveredwithalargeexpanseofdensetropicalrainforests,whichrankssecondintheworldintermsofarea,wehavesetupagreenfundtotransformtheenergy-baseddevelopmentmodesoastoprotecttheenvironmentwhiledevelopingagreeneconomy.“
FacilitatingInfrastructureConstruction
FundsareindesperateneedinAfricaforitsinfrastructureconstruction.Withinitscapability,Chinahasthereforeofferedsupportforalargenumberofinfrastructureconstructionprojectsincludingresidentialbuildings,highways,bridges,harbors,railways,airports,electricpowerfacilities,andtelecommunicationnetworks,makinggreatcontributiontoeconomicdevelopmentinAfrica.
PaulusNatangueIthetesaidChinaandNamibia’sbilateraltradevolumein2017reachedUS$569million.VariousChineseenterprisesarenowinvestinginNamibia’shighway,minerals,energyresources,andharbors.
“Chineseenterprises’supportfortheconstructionofNamibia’sportsandcontainerswharfextensionprojecthelpstoimprovetheinfrastructurenetwork,facilitatestheconnectionsbetweenusandsouthwestAfricancountries,andmakesNamibiatheregionallogisticcenterandestuaryforinlandnations.ItisbothconvenientforusandotherAfricancountriestodevelopoverseastradenowandthuscontributetooureconomies,”hesaid.
TheChinesegovernmenthasencouragedChinesecompaniestoinvestinAfrica,helpingAfricancountriesraisetaxrevenue,increasejobopportunities,andpromoteindustrialdevelopment.