China
22:56, 17-Jan-2018
China-Africa cooperation creates impact in various countries
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By CGTN's Dialogue
China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has been traveling in Africa visiting Rwanda, Angola, Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe to prepare for the upcoming forum on China-Africa cooperation later this year in Beijing. Wang’s mission is also to facilitate integrating African nations further into the fabric of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Dialogue with Yang Rui spoke to Liu Guijin, former Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe and South Africa. Joining the discussion is Habibillah Ben Daoud, a PhD student at the Peking University School of International Studies, speaking about how China-Africa cooperation is playing out in various countries.
Many African countries favor the path on which the Chinese model of development is taking them, and are looking to further coordinate the Africa Union’s far-reaching Agenda 2063 plans with China’s capacity for industry, infrastructure, and finance.
Ambassador Liu emphasized the significance of the trip starting in Rwanda: “The president of Rwanda is the current executive chair of the African Union, and this year we’re going to have a FOCAC summit here in Beijing, so this coordination of the African Union is very important…. And also Rwanda is the fastest-growing economy in Africa.”
Mr. Ben Daoud, who hails from the Comoros Islands, pointed out the importance of shared goals: “I think what is important up to now is how the African Agenda of 2063 and the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, how these two can be merged. I think this should be a very interesting thing.”
“The two have a lot of similarities…” said Ambassador Liu, in agreement with that point. “It’s not that difficult to try to align the two.”
Although just in its nascent stages now, it seems the cooperation between China and Africa will have a long future ahead of it.
Dialogue with Yang Rui is a 30-minute current affairs talk show on CGTN. It airs daily at 7.30 p.m. BJT (1130GMT), with rebroadcasts at 3.30 a.m. (1930GMT) and 11.30 a.m. (0330GMT).