BY HAILE DEMEKE
ADDIS ABABA – Expressing China’s firm support for Africa’s development, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently said that the ongoing China-Africa cooperation has been increasing via adding new impetus to the growth of China-Africa relations and shared future.
Wang Yi made the above remark during a press conference during the fifth session of the 13thNational People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature.
In the press conference ,he underscored that each year; the Chinese foreign minister would start his overseas visits with a trip to Africa, which reflects China’s firm support for Africa’s development and rejuvenation.
“Over the years, China has built over 10,000 kilometers of railways, up to 100,000 kilometers of highways, nearly 100 ports, and innumerable hospitals and schools in Africa. These are not “debt traps”, but monuments of cooperation.”
For instance, Wang Yi pointed out that last year was a big year for China-Africa cooperation. At the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi Jinping announced nine programs for cooperation with Africa and called for building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, adding new impetus to the growth of China-Africa relations.
According to him, China starts implementing the deliverables of the Ministerial Conference this year. China honors its commitment to cooperation with Africa, and never makes empty promises.
“China will champion the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and work with African countries on the following on different issues among which China will vigorously advance anti-COVID cooperation with Africa.”
China will fully deliver on President Xi Jinping’s pledge of providing one billion doses of vaccines to Africa and help Africa enhance capacity for localized vaccine production as Africa works toward the goal of vaccinating 60 percent of its population by the end of 2022, he said
Wang Yi further said that China will further upgrade China-Africa practical cooperation, accelerate high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and work for early harvests under the nine programs.
“China will synergize the Global Development Initiative with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and take concrete actions to support the economic recovery and sustainable development of Africa.”
Talking about peace building efforts , he noted that China will act on the outlook on peace and development in the Horn of Africa. “China has appointed a special envoy for the Horn of Africa, and is prepared to engage in extensive communication with countries in the region and play a constructive role for the peace and development of the horn of Africa and the African continent as a whole.”
The March 10/2022
