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| Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses the media after the closing ceremony of the FOCAC Summit 2015, together with his South African counterpart Maite Nkoana Mashabane. (PHOTO: FRANCISCO LITTLE) |
Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Johannesburg a historic meeting that was a resounding success. Xi was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Summit on the evening of December 5, where he reaffirmed China's commitment to Africa.
He praised South African President Jacob Zuma for organizing the high level event and said all the major tasks of the Summit had been successfully concluded.
President Jacob Zuma said the Summit was historic because it had taken the China-Africa relationship to the "highest level ever," and he thanked President Xi for his tremendous contribution in taking the China-Africa relationship forward.
"The theme of the Summit China-Africa Progressing Together for Win Win Partnership was most appropriate," said Zuma.
Zuma said at the beginning of the Summit, President Xi had placed before the Summit and the world a major and historic concrete partnership development plan with Africa.
"The President announced 10 priority programs aimed at addressing three of the primary bottlenecks hindering Africa's development, namely the lack of infrastructure, skilled personnel and funding," said Zuma.
He explained the 10 initiatives specifically identified for cooperation over the next three years to address these bottlenecks include industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure, finance, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty eradication and people's wellbeing, people to people and cultural exchanges, and peace and security.
A package of financial aid to assist in the 10 initiatives to the tune of $60 billion was announced at the Summit - which included grants, preferential and concessional loans, a China-Africa industrial cooperation fund and debt relief.
Zuma said the amount was significant and ensured China's development takes place at the same time as development in Africa.
The new high level Sino-African partnership has the potential to significantly enhance the African continental agenda as embodied in the African Union Agenda 2063 and its first 10 year implementation plan, said Zuma.
Addressing the media after the closing ceremony, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his South African counterpart, International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane were both upbeat about the Summit.
Referring to the 10 initiatives tabled, Wang said in Africa's industrialization process, China will be Africa's most ideal, most reliable, and most effective partner of cooperation, and the 10 cooperation programs were also aimed at delivering tangible benefits to the African people.
"In our cooperation with Africa we will follow the principles of four Nos and one priority, that is we will never attaching political constraints to our cooperation, we will never interfere in Africa's internal affairs, we will never ask people to do things they cannot do, we will never make empty promises and as a matter of priority we will take into account Africa's actual needs, help improve living standards and support Africa in enhancing its capability of self development," Wang said, adding that FOCAC has brought hope and opportunity and the success of the Summit will turn these opportunities into reality.
Answering a question about Chinese investment on the continent, Nkoana Mashabane said that China now has a policy of going out on buying missions.
"About a month ago the buying mission was here in South Africa and signed contracts and commitments to the tune of $918 million," she said.
Nkoana Mashabane said on the first day of China's visit at the Summit, contracts and MOUs were signed worth $94 billion and that from the time FOCAC was first initiated to date, $3 trillion has already been invested by China on the continent through 3,000 Chinese companies.
