China a friend indeed for Africa

[Photo by Li Min/China Daily]

By Hisham AbuBakr Metwally Mohamed

Sino-African relations have been cemented at all levels, from the political and economic to the commercial, cultural and other spheres. If you walk down a street in any African country and ask people their opinion about China, they will more likely than not say that China is a country that helps African nations achieve economic growth, create jobs and improve people's livelihoods. They may also say China does not impose conditions for providing assistance for other countries or interfere in their internal affairs.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, established in 2000, has played a positive role in charting the right course for Sino-African cooperation. And the Dakar Action Plan 2022-24, the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, and the joint declaration on combating climate change announced at the FOCAC conference in Dakar, Senegal, late last year, will help strengthen China-Africa cooperation and build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

There is no limit to China-Africa cooperation, because it involves traditional areas such as infrastructure, investment, financing, agriculture, manufacturing and telecommunications but also includes energy, digital economy, healthcare, marine economy, vocational education, women and youth development and other emerging fields.

Besides, Sino-African cooperation will help Africa realize industrialization and raise African countries' status in the global industry and supply chains.

China has already completed several major infrastructure projects, including the Foundiougne Bridge in Senegal, the Nairobi Expressway, the Kribi-Lolabe Highway in Cameroon, and the 10th Ramadan Light Rail Transit in Egypt, since the Eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC in Dakar, Senegal, late last year. It has also delivered $3 billion of the $10 billion it had promised to Africa-based financial institutions, and channeled nearly $2.5 billion of loans into Africa's priority programs.

Also, China has imported $72.4 billion worth of African goods in the first seven months of this year, and Chinese investment stock in Africa had increased to $47.35 billion by 2021.

As a matter of fact, Chinese investments have been rapidly increasing in the renewable energy sector of Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, which will help light up vast areas of the continent while contributing to the global fight against climate change. From the Sakai photovoltaic power station in the Central African Republic and the Garissa solar plant in Kenya to the Aysha wind power project in Ethiopia and the Kafue Gorge hydroelectric station in Zambia, China has implemented hundreds of clean energy development projects in Africa, supporting the continent's efforts to tackle climate change.

Since food security is very important for African countries, China supports Africa becoming self-sufficient in food. China also accords high priority to financing and partnering with private sector companies, and promoting technology transfer to help African countries develop their economies, create more jobs, reduce poverty, and boost overall production and exports. To this effect, China has formalized exchange of letters with 12 African countries on zero tariffs on 98 percent of their goods and to allow the import of more agricultural products from Africa through "green channels".

As for the threat of a food crisis in Africa, China has provided food aid for many African countries including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea in the past, and there is no reason for it to not help African countries again.

The first four China-Africa joint centers for modern agro-technology exchange, demonstration and training have been launched, and Chinese businesses are increasing their investment in Africa's agricultural sector, so they can grow more food grains and implement the "100 companies in 1,000 villages" initiative to create more jobs, reduce poverty and improve rural people's lives.

China has also provided 27 African countries with 189 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, signed agreements with some African countries to jointly manufacture the vaccines in Africa so the continent could build a strong shield against the novel coronavirus. And the joint production of vaccines in Africa has reached a production capacity of 400 million doses a year.

Promptly responding to the spread of the virus in Africa, China has dispatched nearly 1,000 doctors and medical experts to Africa, who have attended to 250,000 clinical patients, performed more than 30,000 surgeries, treated 4,500 critical cases, and trained 3,600 local health workers.

Moreover, China continues the scholarship program for African students, under which students from African countries can attend college in China, and 14 Chinese vocational schools have forged partnerships with 13 African higher education institutions.

China honors its promises, and has asserted that meeting African countries' needs is one of the goals of Sino-African cooperation. And to implement the "nine programs" of Sino-African cooperation, which include health, poverty alleviation, agricultural development, investment promotion and digital development programs, China is advancing the Belt and Road Initiative.

More important, taking into consideration the economic situation caused by the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China waived the 23 interest-free loans to 17 African countries that matured in 2021.

Africa's trust in Sino-African cooperation is the result of China's favorable and deliverable policy toward the continent, which is based on sincerity, equality, mutual benefit and common development and aimed at building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The author is an economist at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry.