STORY: African Union, Chinese mission vow to deepen Belt and Road cooperation
DATELINE: Sept. 9, 2023
LENGTH: 0:02:49
LOCATION: Addis Ababa
CATEGORY: POLITICS/ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the seminar
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ALBERT MUCHANGA, AU commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ALBERT MUCHANGA, AU commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals
4. various of the seminar

STORYLINE:

The African Union (AU) and the Chinese Mission to the AU on Friday pledged to further deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to achieve win-win outcomes by taking the opportunity of the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed initiative.
   
The AU and the Chinese mission held a high-level seminar Friday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, with the participation of senior AU officials, officials from African countries, Chinese government officials, members of the diplomatic community in Ethiopia and academia, among others.
   
While addressing the seminar, Albert Muchanga, the AU commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, said the BRI is a signature program of international development cooperation.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ALBERT MUCHANGA, AU commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals
"Africa is part of these benefits, which are, but a sample of several projects in the varied areas of transportation, logistics, communications, trade facilitation, finance, soft infrastructure, among others. Virtually all African countries have Belt and Road Initiative projects, and some of these projects are of a regional nature."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ALBERT MUCHANGA, AU commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals
"Through this support, we are developing the made-in-Africa standard, which will greatly contribute to high standards of manufacturing and agro-processing, as well as the elimination of Technical Barriers to Trade in the African Continental Free Trade Area."

Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese Mission to the AU, said that over the past decade, the BRI has opened up a new direction for China-Africa cooperation and set a model for building a community with a shared future in the new era.
   
Hu said China will promote market-oriented, enterprise-led and win-win investments in Africa, fostering important growth drivers for Africa's independent and sustainable development.

According to the World Bank, by 2030, BRI transport infrastructure, if fully implemented, is expected to increase global real income by 0.7 percent to 2.9 percent, lifting 7.6 million people from extreme poverty and 32 million people from moderate poverty.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Addis Ababa.
(XHTV)