STORY: China, Africa in fast lane of high-quality cooperation
DATELINE: July 3, 2023
LENGTH: 00:09:28
LOCATION: CHANGSHA, China
CATEGORY: POLITICS/ECONOMY

STORYLINE:

The third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo is held from June 29 to July 2 in China's Changsha.

It's been 10 years since Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative and the principles of China's Africa policy -- sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and pursuing the greater good and shared interests.

Over the past decade, cooperation between China and Africa has yielded fruitful results.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): XI JINPING, Chinese President
"China will enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in such areas as agriculture and manufacturing, and help African countries turn resource endowment into development strength and achieve independent and sustainable development."

Early in the morning, a cartful of freshly harvested cup lumps was delivered to a local Chinese rubber processing factory in Dabou, Cote d'Ivoire.

SOUNDBITE 2 (French): YOBOUET GNAGNE ROLAND, Chairman of a rubber cooperative in Cote d'Ivoire
"In the past, our average monthly production was about 1,000 tonnes. With the help of the Chinese factory, our production has doubled."

Cote d'Ivoire is a leading producer of crude rubber in the world. However, the local rubber industry lacks processing plants.

SOUNDBITE 3 (French): BROU BONAVENTURE, Resource supervisor of the Ivorian Interprofessional Fund for Agricultural Research and Advice
"The entry of Chinese companies into the agricultural processing sector has brought positive outcomes for local development, particularly by creating employment opportunities for young people in rural areas. The increase in added value is particularly important for the young workforce."

SOUNDBITE 4 (French): DIBY JULIUS VRY, Chairman of a rubber cooperative in Cote d'Ivoire
"Thanks to the cooperation (with the Chinese factory), I can afford housing, and my children are now attending the best school. I truly appreciate it."

As of 2022, African agricultural exports to China had been increasing for six consecutive years, and China has become the second-largest destination of African agricultural exports.

By 2022, China had remained Africa's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years.

Official data showed that bilateral trade between China and Africa stood at $282 billion in 2022. In the first four months of 2023, China's new direct investment in Africa reached $1.38 billion, up 24 percent year on year.

In a congratulatory letter to the first China-Africa expo in 2019, President Xi said it is hoped that the two sides will actively explore new paths for cooperation, open up new points of growth for collaboration, and promote China-Africa economic and trade cooperation to a new level.

China-Africa economic and trade cooperation further deepens and expands from conventional trade and construction to sectors like finance and green industries.

Bordering the Sahara Desert, Kano State in Nigeria is severely affected by the encroaching desert. A China-assisted desertification control project has been launched to build a "green wall" in Africa.

Chinese and African scientists have built a demonstration zone here, which combines forestation and economic functions.

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): UMAR DANLADI DAHIRU, Founder, Africa Desertification Control Initiative (ADCI), Nigeria
"Actually, they have been supporting us to see that this project has become a reality and this project has changed the lives of the people living in this area. We have learned a lot from the Chinese expertise in terms of desertification control."

Subtitle:
Taklimakan Desert
Xinjiang, China

Experts from Sub-Saharan Africa have also visited China's Xinjiang to learn about China's experience in preventing land degradation and desertification.

With an overarching aim of planting a wall of trees across Africa at the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, the African Union launched the Great Green Wall initiative in 2007 to restore Africa's degraded lands.

An institute in Xinjiang under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been supporting the initiative for years.

SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): WANG YONGDONG, Deputy head of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences
"After long-term systematic monitoring, experimental research, and widespread application, Xinjiang has developed a mature model for desertification prevention and control, creating a 'Xinjiang Model.' This model has been widely welcomed by African countries."

China and African countries have jointly established several demonstration zones under the Great Green Wall Initiative.

SOUNDBITE 7 (English): ENDRIAS GETA, state minister of the Ethiopian Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands
"(The Great Green Wall Initiative) has been working in Africa for the past many years. Ethiopia is part of the initiative and we are benefiting a lot. Millions of hectares of land are being rehabilitated due to the Chinese government's support. "

SOUNDBITE 8 (English): RETSELISITS LEKU, Engineer from Lesotho
"With the amount of information that has been generated so far, I think China is doing very great in combating desertification."

During a keynote speech at the High-Level Dialogue Between Chinese and African Leaders and Business Representatives in Sept. 2018, President Xi said that China supports African countries in jointly building the Belt and Road to share the win-win outcomes.

He said that China stands ready to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with African countries to build a road of high-quality development that is suited to national conditions, inclusive and beneficial to all.

So far, 52 African countries, together with the African Union (AU) Commission, have signed cooperation documents on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with China. As the cooperation mechanisms continue to improve, infrastructure development in many African countries has delivered tangible benefits to the local communities.

The 400 kV Konza substation, constructed by a Chinese company, is part of the Kenya Power Transmission Expansion Project (KPTEP).
Upon completion, the project is expected to meet the electricity demand of central and northern Kenya.

SOUNDBITE 9 (English & Chinese): DAVID MAINA KAMORE, Electrical engineer of the Konza electricity substation
"I've been privileged to be part of the Kenya Power Transmission Expansion projects, as I'm able to gain a lot of experience, both from management to technical skills. I've realized my dream through working here, and I also hope that our endeavors can benefit the people of my homeland, Kenya."

In Senegal, a China-financed rural well-drilling project launched in 2017 has relieved water shortages for about 1/7 of the country's population.

SOUNDBITE 10 (French): MBAKE DIOM, Employee, CGCOC Senegal branch
"We sincerely express our gratitude to the Chinese government for constructing this well for us. It is indeed a true 'well of happiness.' We are deeply grateful to our Chinese friends for bringing happiness to our village, and we appreciate the Belt and Road Initiative."

In the southern suburbs of Addis Ababa, the first phrase of an iconic twin tower of the new headquarters of the Africa CDC was completed in January this year.

The landmark project features modern offices, high-end laboratories and accessories.

SOUNDBITE 11 (English): EWNETU FEREDE, Senior structural engineer of the African Union Commission
"This was helping all member states in better coordinating pandemic and infectious diseases, both at prevention level and also during pandemic management."

Over the past 10 years, the combined value of projects newly contracted by Chinese companies in Africa topped 700 billion U.S. dollars. During the same period, China's FDI flow to Africa exceeded 30 billion U.S. dollars.

Themed "Common Development for a Shared Future," the four-day China-Africa expo is attended by representatives from 53 African countries and multiple international organizations.

It's aimed at promoting high-quality economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa, and building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

SOUNDBITE 12 (Chinese): XI JINPING, Chinese President
"China will never forget the profound friendship of African countries and will remain guided by the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests. China will work together with African friends to promote and carry forward the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation from generation to generation."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Changsha, China.
(XHTV)