Chinese Bank Invests in African Infrastructure Development
China Development Bank (CDB) has invested at least US$2.4bn in African infrastructure and commercial projects. The projects will be estimated to bring at least a further US$10bn of Chinese investments into Africa.
The bank's president Zheng Zhijie revealed this saying that the China-Africa Development Fund has already financed mineral resources, machinery manufacturing, power generation, agricultural and infrastructure projects in more than 30 African countries.
The fund, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CDB and an Africa-dedicated facility, was set up in 2007. With stronger bilateral ties, Kenya has become an important partner in East Africa for China, Zheng said.
Zheng revealed that CDB's outstanding loans to Africa have already totalled US$18.9bn, of which US$250mn have been for infrastructure projects, the financial sector and small businesses in Kenya. He claimed that the bank's funds have immensely helped spread the use of digital television in Kenya.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping opens the Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development in Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed the participants of the Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development, launching a new era in cooperation between China and Africa. “Human development is at the core of development. We hope this forum will substantially push forward health cooperation between China and Africa," said President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Addressing the opening plenary, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé emphasized the enormous positive impact of stronger China-Africa cooperation for health. “The response to HIV can act as a pathfinder for the China-Africa partnership in health development,” said Mr Sidibé. “China can help African countries build on their leadership in the HIV response to advance Africa’s response to a range of other health issues.” Mr Sidibé also highlighted the importance of commodity security, with China’s unique potential to support Africa to develop sustainable capacity for local manufacture of antiretroviral drugs and other pharmaceuticals. The forum was also attended by the heads of international health organizations—Margaret Chan (WHO), Babatunde Osotimehin (UNFPA), and Mark Dybul (Global Fund).
Speaking during the Forum’s opening ceremony, Minister of China’s Health and Family Planning Commission Li Bin reiterated China’s commitment to building stronger China-Africa ties, noting the long and positive history of China-Africa cooperation on health. “China will continue to strengthen cooperation with international cooperation on global health and population development, and make use of international platforms to explore new approaches to South-South cooperation in the area of health with developing countries in Africa and elsewhere,” said Minister Li.
The Forum featured the negotiation and adoption of the Beijing Declaration, which outlines the commitment and direction of future cooperation between China and Africa in this important area. On behalf of the international organizations attending the forum, Mr Sidibé delivered a statement in support of the Beijing Declaration.
Statement of the International Organizations at the Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development
The international organizations represented at the Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development (World Health Organization, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria, the World Bank, and the GAVI Alliance) commend its participants on their leadership efforts to advance health development, and give our strongest endorsement of the Beijing Declaration, which inaugurates a new era of China-Africa collaboration.
We recognize this Declaration as a pillar of the larger partnership between China and Africa, which is one of the most important geopolitical and economic relationships of the 21st Century.
We underscore the Declaration's importance for strengthening China's collaboration with regional institutions - the African Union and Africa's regional economic committees.
We commit special attention and support for the implementation of the Beijing Declaration. We will seek to make available, where appropriate, the knowledge and resources of the relevant agencies to promote China-Africa health collaboration as a new platform to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and to promote global health in the post-2015 development agenda.
We welcome the Ministerial Forum of China-Africa Health Development as an innovative mechanism to convene the participation and dialogue of high-level leadership in support of health development and cooperation between China and Africa, and we encourage the regular reporting of progress towards its important objectives.
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China issues white paper on economic, trade cooperation with Africa
BEIJING, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Thursday issued a white paper on China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation, underlining latest achievements of the mutually-beneficial cooperation between China and African countries.
The white paper, released by the Information Office of China's State Council, introduces facts of trade development, investment expansion, agricultural cooperation, infrastructure construction and other fields of cooperation between China and Africa since 2009.
Both the Chinese and English versions of the white paper have been published.
"China-Africa economic and trade development has improved people's livelihoods and diversified economic development in African countries, and provided strong support for China's socio-economic development," the white paper says.
The cooperation between China and Africa also contributed to promoting South-South cooperation and balancing global economic development, according to the white paper.
Through the joint efforts of China and Africa, economic and trade cooperation is enjoying a more consolidated foundation and better mechanisms than before, with new common interests and growth points constantly emerging, it says.
In spite of sluggish global economic recovery in recent years, the trade between China and Africa has maintained the momentum of comparatively rapid growth.
In 2009, China became Africa's largest trade partner. In the following two years, the scale of bilateral trade expanded rapidly.
In 2012, the total volume of China-Africa trade reached 198.49 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year growth of 19.3 percent, the paper says.
The total bilateral trade volume, China's exports to Africa and China's imports from Africa all reached new highs last year.
The white paper says that Sino-African bilateral trade enjoys great potential and is significant for the economic development of both sides.
China will help African countries improve their customs and commodity inspection facilities, provide support for African countries to promote trade facilitation, and push forward trade growth within Africa, the white paper says.
As poor economic foundation and insufficient construction funds have always been factors limiting the development of African countries, the Chinese government encourages and supports enterprises and financial institutions to increase investment in Africa.
China's direct investment in African countries increased from 1.44 billion U.S. dollars in 2009 to 2.52 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, representing an annual growth rate of 20.5 percent.
At present, over 2,000 Chinese enterprises are investing in more than 50 African countries and regions.
Their investment activities have expanded from the fields of agriculture, mining and construction to intensive processing of resource products, manufacturing, financing, logistics and real estate, the white paper says.
African enterprises have also been active in making investment in China. By the end of 2012, investment from African countries in China totaled 14.24 billion U.S. dollars, surging 44 percent from 2009.
China-Africa investment and financing cooperation has solidified the foundation of Africa's economic development, increased Africa's capacity of independent development, improved Africa's competitiveness in the global economic sphere, and advanced Chinese enterprises' internationalized development, the white paper says.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to its mutually beneficial agricultural cooperation with Africa, and works hard to help African countries turn resource advantages into developmental ones and sustainably develop their agricultural capacities, the paper says.
China has tried to enhance Africa's self-reliance capacity to develop its agriculture by providing assistance in the construction of demonstration centers of agricultural technology, and sending senior agricultural experts and technicians to teach the locals managerial experience and practical techniques in agricultural production, it says.
The Chinese government encourages enterprises and financial institutions to participate in African infrastructure construction, including transportation, communications and electric power projects, the white paper says.
China tries to offer what assistance it can to Africa without setting any political conditions, and to benefit African people through developmental advances, according to the white paper.
China works hard to strengthen cooperation with the African Union (AU) and African sub-regional organizations in a variety of fields, and joins other countries and international multilateral organizations in leveraging one another's advantages to the fullest to help African countries reduce poverty, develop economically, and promote social progress, it says.
"With increasing common interests and mutual needs, the two sides have great opportunities to accelerate their economic and trade cooperation," the paper says.
With a spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, China will continue to take concrete measures to build a Sino-African community of shared destinies featuring all-round, diversified and deep cooperation, the white paper says.
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China helps enhance Africa's self-development capability
BEIJING, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- China has stepped up efforts to help improve people's livelihood in African countries and enhance their capability for self-development, according to a white paper the Chinese government issued on Thursday.
"While seeking to advance its own development, China tries to offer what assistance it can to Africa without setting any political conditions, and to benefit African people through developmental advances," said the white paper on China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.
China has boosted cooperation with Africa during the past few years in various areas, including public amenities, medical and health care, climate change and environmental protection, the white paper says.
Despite of offering direct humanitarian aids, the paper says China has also strengthened cultural and educational exchanges and scientific and technological cooperation with African countries to help them develop independently.
China granted 18,743 government scholarships to students from African countries between 2010 and 2012 while holding training courses for 54 countries and regions in Africa, with the topics ranging from economics, foreign affairs, energy, industry, agriculture to health care and climate change, the paper says.
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