Chinanews.com, Beijing, January 12th, title: International Observation: Unhindered Co-operation and Upgrade of China-Africa Friendship Continues New Chapter
Chinanews reporter Liu Xu
Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi recently concluded a six-day New Year's first visit.
During this visit, Wang Yi was invited to visit Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Tanzania and Seychelles, and met and talked with the leaders and foreign ministers of the five countries.
Experts here said in an interview with a reporter from Chinanews.com that Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit shows China’s sincere willingness and firm determination to deepen friendly relations with African countries, and will renew the friendship between China and Africa after the epidemic.
First visit to tradition shows deep friendship
"The destination of the first visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister every year is Africa. This has become an unwritten Chinese diplomatic practice, which has lasted for 31 years." said He Wenping, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of African Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as early as January 1991. The then Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen visited Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
After that, the first visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister in the New Year was to Africa.
Although the new crown pneumonia epidemic has spread to the entire world including the African continent since the beginning of 2020, it has not affected the Chinese Foreign Minister’s visit to Africa.
In previous interviews with the media, Wang Yi also stated that it is a fine tradition of China's diplomacy for the foreign minister to make Africa his first destination at the beginning of each year.
China hopes that with this practical action, it reflects China's great importance to Africa, reflects the unbreakable friendship between China and African brothers, and reflects China's firm support for the development and revitalization of African countries.
"Although there is a second wave of rebound of the epidemic in South Africa and other African countries, the epidemic cannot stop the progress of China-Africa friendship." He Wenping said, "Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Africa is to discuss with the leaders of African countries. The present and future of China-Africa's joint fight against the epidemic has enabled China-Africa traditional friendship to be further developed in the post-epidemic period."
Fruitful results deliver firm confidence
Judging from the five African countries visited by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, their geographic locations cover western, central, southern, eastern and Indian Ocean island countries, including the largest economy in Africa and Nigeria with a population of over 200 million, and some are economically underdeveloped and underpopulated. 100,000 Seychelles.
The diversity of the countries visited has made the communication and exchanges between China and Africa more fully and widely representative, and also made the results of Wang Yi's visit more targeted and practical.
Yao Guimei, director and researcher of the South African Studies Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, specifically mentioned that during this visit, the Congo (DRC) and Botswana signed a memorandum of understanding with China to jointly build the “Belt and Road”. The two countries became the 45th and 46th in Africa. A partner country participating in the “Belt and Road” cooperation.
"This is not only the result of the visit, but also reflects the recognition and confidence of African countries for the'Belt and Road' initiative. I believe that the joint construction of the'Belt and Road' in the future can overcome the impact of the epidemic and external interference, and usher in a brighter prospect on the African continent. ."
In addition, this year is the final year for the implementation of the results of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and the Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will once again return to the African continent.
During his visit to Africa, Wang Yi extensively listened to the opinions and suggestions of African countries on the construction of the forum and the new forum meeting, and communicated in-depth with relevant African countries.
Wang Yi said that despite the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, it cannot stop China and Africa from advancing hand in hand. China and Africa will carry forward the forum spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, continue to strengthen the "golden signboard" of the forum, based on China-Africa cooperation. In order to promote the quality and upgrading of China-Africa cooperation under the new situation, new needs, and new opportunities of China
"Therefore, the foreign minister's visit is not only a targeted visit under special circumstances, but also provides a directional guide for future cooperation." Yao Guimei said.
Seven Ideas Leading Cooperation Upgrade
In a joint meeting with the reporters with Tanzanian Foreign Minister Kabudi, Wang Yi talked about the seven-point concept of promoting the quality and upgrading of China-Africa cooperation, namely, China and Africa jointly create a "healthy Africa", "manufacturing Africa", "connecting Africa", and "good harvest". "Africa", "Digital Africa", "Green Africa" and "Safe Africa".
He Wenping analyzed and pointed out that in the context of the global fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic, China-Africa health cooperation will be placed in a very important position.
For example, she said that at the end of last year, the construction of the headquarters of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which was built by China in the south of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, started construction, and the first batch of new coronavirus vaccines made in China had also arrived in Egypt.
"The'Health Action' within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and jointly building a China-Africa health community will become one of the key areas of cooperation."
In addition, in view of the trend of e-commerce rising against the trend during the epidemic, He Wenping believes that "digital Africa" will also become a major area in which China and Africa are expected to achieve rapid development.
"The seven-point concept proposed by Foreign Minister Wang Yi also gives specific development ideas in the fields of agriculture, security, infrastructure construction, and manufacturing, which will further promote the steady development of China-Africa cooperation."
Economic recovery has huge potential
“The total population of China and Africa accounts for one-third of the world’s population, the combined land area accounts for one-third of the world’s total, and the combined GDP accounts for 19% of the world’s total. During the epidemic, we still have more than 1,100 cooperative projects in operation. Nearly 100,000 Chinese technical and engineering personnel stick to their posts." Yao Guimei cited a series of figures in the interview, "So no matter from the market potential or the reality of cooperation, we all have the prospect of China-Africa cooperation. Full of confidence."
Yao Guimei reminded that despite the impact of the epidemic, China-Africa economic and trade cooperation was undeniably short-lived, but under the general trend of global trade and investment decline, Chinese investment in Africa rose against the trend in the first half of last year.
"We need to see the general trend of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, and see the complementarity between China and Africa. The strategic value and demonstration significance of China-Africa cooperation have not declined, but have increased."
"China-Africa cooperation has become a good example of South-South cooperation. In the long run, China's investment in Africa has not only intergovernmental policy guidance, but also complementary long-term foundation support and actual non-governmental cooperation, plus the African continent The free trade zone was officially launched at the beginning of the year, and the potential for China-Africa cooperation is still huge." Yao Guimei said in analysis.
He Wenping also said that although the new crown epidemic in 2020 will have a certain impact on China-Africa economic cooperation, the golden complementary structure formed by China's technology, capital, development experience and Africa's market, resources and development potential has not changed.
In the post-epidemic era, with the recovery of supply chains and production chains, China-Africa economic and trade cooperation is expected to return to its peak soon.
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