African Voices: We Are Coming to China for FOCAC

2018-08-29

China & The World

China Focus

African people are looking forward to FOCAC and expecting friendly cooperation between the two regions. China Focus collects here several reports, with a focus on the voices from African media.

The 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit will be held in Beijing on September 3-4. The theme of the summit is “China and Africa: Toward an even Stronger Community with a Shared Future through Win-Win Cooperation”.

African people are looking forward to this great event and expecting friendly cooperation between the two regions. China Focus collects here several reports, with a focus on the voices from African media:

Rwanda: Remarkable Cases, High Hopes

People from all walks of life are concerned about the performance of their leaders at the summit. Here is an article highlighting the fact that Rwanda’s president will be a featured speaker. “President (Paul) Kagame will be one of the four speakers at the opening ceremony on the afternoon of September 3.”

Δ This article was produced and published by The New Times. All Africa reprinted this report on August 23, 2018.

The New Times, one of Rwanda’s largest media outlets, reprinted a report by China’s Xinhua News Agency, which affirmed China’s commitment to aiding Africa. “China has done a great deal in promoting cooperation with Africa by launching infrastructure and development projects. China has engaged in a lot of projects to help Africa accomplish its much-needed development.”

Δ This article was produced and published by the Xinhua News Agency. The New Times reprinted this report on August 20, 2018.

China-Africa cooperation is also placing great importance on people-to-people and cultural exchanges. “China has offered thousands of scholarships to Rwandans over the last couple of years. Today, China is home to over 2,000 Rwandan students.” reported by The New Times. “The Rwanda government attaches great importance to engage, educate and empower the youth. And China is committed to enhancing educational cooperation with Rwanda.”

Δ This article was published in The New Times on August 21, 2018.

The Rwanda government attaches great importance to engaging, educating and empowering its youth and China is committed to enhancing educational cooperation with the country. An editorial in The New Times titled, Rwandans Should Make the most of Ties with China, said, “From agriculture, infrastructure, health, mining, trade, and investment to visa exceptions, air transport, culture, law enforcement, and human capital development, Rwanda and China are set to significantly broaden and deepen their relations with view to positively impact the lives of their people.”

Zambia: Great Achievements, Fast-track Development

Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie said in an interview with the Zambia Daily Mail Limited, “In 2017, China-Africa trade volume exceeded US$170 billion, and trade with China accounted for 20 percent of Africa’s foreign trade. The stock of China’s direct investment reaches more than US$40 billion. The industrial parks, power stations and communication towers which are constructed by China rise straight from the ground. The roads and railways projects have made great achievements, and the interconnectivity of the African continent has greatly improved. Many remote rural areas have realized their long-cherished wish of opening to traffic. Chinese companies have transferred the experience and technology to the local people, created millions of jobs, significantly promoted the industrialization and agricultural modernization of African countries.”

Δ This article was published by Zambia Daily Mail Limited on August 20, 2018.

The official demonstrated his recognition and confidence in the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future. “For decades, China and Africa have treated each other with sincerity and friendship. Indeed, we are already a community with a shared future and common interests, featuring solidarity and win-win cooperation. China, like African countries, has a painful history of foreign colonization and being exploited and oppressed by foreign powers.”

Nigeria: Higher Level Cooperation Based on OBOR

A report published by Leadership, Nigeria’s most influential newspaper said, “As stakeholders in the nation’s power sector continue to trade blames over inability to provide electricity, one of Nigeria’s leading Industrialists and Chairman, Blue Diamond Logistics, Mr. Festus Mbisiogu, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use opportunity of his forthcoming scheduled visit to China to fully engage Chinese investors in Nigeria’s Power Sector to solve the problem.”

Nearly 30 African countries, including South Africa, Kenya and Rwanda, have already joined the Belt and Road Initiative. “The past five years have witnessed that the Belt and Road Initiative has transformed itself from a vision to practical actions with fruitful cooperation results. The closer connectivity in policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people-to-people ties, strengthened industrial capacity cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and the greater cooperation in the planning of African infrastructure and industrial development will lend new impetus to the win-win cooperation and common development between China and Africa,” continued the Leadership article.

Δ This article was published by the Leadership on August 23, 2018.

A comment in the article said, “Since independence, no country has helped our country on infrastructural development like the Chinese. Advancing China-Africa cooperation represents the trend of the times and the will of our peoples. It is our firm belief that the China-Nigeria cooperation is brotherly South-South cooperation between two equal partners and is indeed mutually beneficial.”

Ghana: China-Africa Environmental Cooperation on the Way

Ghana’s Environment News Agency reported, “A formal announcement of the establishment of a new China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center to be based in Nairobi is expected to be made during the Summit of the FOCAC. As a facilitating mechanism to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and Africa’s Agenda 2063, the Center intends to complement existing initiatives through enhanced partnership between China and African countries, private sector, research institutions, and intergovernmental organizations.”

Δ This article was published by the Environment News Agency on August 18, 2018.

A Ghana News Agency article said, “Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, the Minister of Education, lauded China for its immense support to the sector, especially in strengthening technical and vocational education, the Distance Learning Program at the University of Ghana and the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS). Driven by the boom of China-Africa cooperation, more and more Chinese companies are investing in Africa. Since 2009, China has become Africa’s biggest trading partner for nine consecutive years, and China’s investment in Africa has accumulated to more than 100 billion US dollars.”

Δ This article was published by the Ghana News Agency on August 21, 2018.

Malawi: Satellite Television Project Launched

The Malawi Voice reported, “After the consultations between relevant authorities of China and Malawi, 500 Malawian villages were identified to benefit from the project.

Δ This news article was published by the Malawi Voice on August 22, 2018.

As the main platform and mechanism of China—Africa cooperation, FOCAC has made great achievements in promoting our bilateral relations and cooperation since its establishment.”

Editors: Elena Yuan, Sophie Cai

Intern Editor: Yang Ruoxi