The China-Africa Colloquium: Evolving Sino-African Relations held in Cape Town, South Africa, from May 21 to 22, 2015attracted over 200 scholars and entrepreneurs to discuss issues including China-African trade and investment cooperation and how to promote China and Africa relations.
Chinese ambassador to South Africa Tian Xuejun and African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma addressed the opening ceremony.
Tian said that theChina-Africa relationship is an active and dynamic factor of international relations with great influence.
He said that the rise of China and Africa, as two important forces, will surely have a far-reaching impact on the international landscape and international relations and will become an extraordinary part of 21st century history.
Tian said that over the years, China and Africa have increasingly become a community of shared destiny and interests, and China will actively practice the concept of "sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith" in its cooperation with Africa, along with the balanced approach to interests and principles, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Dlamini-Zuma thanked China for being one of the first countries to answer the continent's call for help in tackling the Ebola outbreak.
China-Africa relations has achieved great developments in recent years, with the trade volume increasing from $10 billion in 2010 to $220 billion in 2014, and China's investment to Africa has sharply increased from $500 million to $30 billion during the same period.
The year 2015 marks the year of China in South Africa, and the 15th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
The colloquium was a joint initiative of University of Cape Town's Confucius Institute, the Center for African Studies, and theThe Institute for African Alternatives.
Full text of the speech delivered byChinese Ambassador to South Africa Tian Xuejun at the opening ceremony of the China-Africa Colloquium held at the University of Cape Town on May 21
Honorable Mr. Kgalema Motlanthe, Former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa
Honorable AU Chairperson Dlamini Zuma,
Honorable Vice-Chancellor Max Price,
Honorable Professor Ben Turok, Director of Institute for African Alternatives
Honorable Deputy Vice-Chancellor Francis Petersen,
Distinguished Guests, Scholars and Experts, Friends from the Business Community and the Press,
Dear Teachers and Students,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning!
It gives me great pleasure to attend the China-Africa Colloquium: Evolving China-African Relations. This year is the Year of China in South Africa and it also marks the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). What's more, this month is the "Africa Month" in South Africa. Against this background, it is of great importance to hold such a colloquium and invite people from various sectors to contribute their ideas and suggestions to China-Africa relations. First, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa and the Chinese Consulate-General in Cape Town, I'd like to extend warm congratulations on the colloquium and heartfelt thanks to friends from all sectors who have supported the development of China-Africa relations over the years.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
China-Africa relationship is an active and dynamic factor of international relations with greater influence. To accurately read and understand the evolving China-Africa relations, it is necessary to answer three questions: First, How do we see China and Africa's respective development; second, how do we view China-Africa relations; third, how can we promote the transformation and upgrading of China-Africa cooperation. I want to share with you some of my personal thoughts and hope to contribute to the discussions in the next two days.
First, how do we view the respective development of China and Africa?
China is the largest developing country in the world and Africa is home to the largest number of developing countries. Both China and Africa give top priority to development. Both are exploring development paths suited to their respective national conditions and have embarked on the track of rapid development.
Africa is a continent full of hope, maintaining robust economic growth and accelerating its integration process. At the beginning of this year, the AU Summit adopted the "Agenda 2063". This "Century Plan" has demonstrated the dreams of African countries and people for focusing on development, expecting for prosperity and pursuing happiness, and has mapped out a grand blueprint for Africa's future.
China is the world's second largest economy, largest trading nation and third largest outbound investor. At present,China is striving to fulfill the Chinese dream of realizing the "two centenary goals" and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. (The two centenary goals means complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all aspects by 2020 when we celebrate the centenary of our Party, and build China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the middle of the century when we celebrate the centenary of the People's Republic of China.)
The rise of China and Africa, as two important forces, will surely have a far-reaching impact on international landscape and international relations and will become an extraordinary part of the 21st century history.
Second, how do we view the relationship between China and Africa?
The exchanges between China and Africa date back to ancient times. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China-Africa friendship has been moving ahead at a fast pace against the backdrop of Asia-Africa cooperation. Since then, China and Africa have sincerely supported and closely cooperated with each other in the endeavor to fight against colonialism and imperialism and achieve national independence and liberation, and in the pursuit of development and national revival. Entering the 21st century, the founding of FOCAC marks China-Africa relations entering a new era of all-round development. Over the past 15 years, China-Africa relations have made great strides in development and yielded fruitful results.
In 2000, the trade volume between China and Africa was only $10 billion, while last year, it topped $220 billion. During the same period, China's investment in Africa has also sharply increased from $500 million to $30 billion. The two sides have made good progress in practical cooperation in various areas, such as culture, education, technology, health and peace and security, etc. For example, each year, China provides Africa with about 9,000 scholarships and in the past three years, China has trained over 20,000 professionals of all types for Africa who are much needed for the Continent's development. Currently, among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China has the largest number of peacekeepers performing UN peacekeeping duties in Africa. On the international arena, China and Africa work together in unity to safeguard the interests of Africa and other developing countries and contribute to building a more just and equitable international order. Recently, we are glad to hear the encouraging news from West Africa that Liberia has been declared Ebola-free. China is the first country to provide assistance to the affected countries in West Africa. By now, China has provided those African countries with emergency aid worth $150 million. China has sent nearly 1,000 infectious disease experts and medical staff and trained 13,000 local medical workers. These actions fully demonstrate the China-Africa sincere friendship of overcoming hardships and helping each other. Over the years, China and Africa have increasingly become a community of shared destiny and interests.
Frankly speaking, China-Africa relations will inevitably encounter some problems in the process of development, but these problems are only growing pains which should be viewed and solved in the light of development. We should be highly vigilant about some malicious accusations which distort and smear China-Africa cooperation. China will actively practice the concept of "sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith" in the cooperation with Africa and the balanced approach to interests and principles, which are proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. China will work with African friends to build China-Africa relations into a good example of cooperation between developing countries. At the same time, we should speak with one voice and promote good stories of China-Africa cooperation so as to let the world understand the real nature of China-Africa relations.
Third, how can we promote the transformation and upgrading of China-Africa cooperation?
In the latter half of this year, the Sixth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC will be held in South Africa. This is an important opportunity to promote the transformation and upgrading of China-Africa cooperation and will certainly be a new milestone in the history of our relations. At this conference, leaders of China and Africa will discuss cooperation and formulate plans for the future. They will also push for the alignment of their respective strategies, visions and policies, jointly promote implementing important cooperation initiatives including "building three networks and accelerating industrialization" (namely the networks of railway, highway and regional aviation in Africa) and "taking six major areas as priority for our cooperation (namely industrial cooperation, financial cooperation, poverty alleviation, ecological and environmental protection, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, peace and security)." Under this framework, the following three areas will be the focus of our cooperation in the next three years:
First, industrial cooperation. Today, China has entered a more mature stage of industrialization with advanced industries and surplus capacity. We are in a much stronger position to move our advanced production capacity to the world. Africa is vigorously promoting industrialization and infrastructure building. This is a historic opportunity for our cooperation. China is willing to conduct industrial cooperation with Africa as a priority so as to further contribute to the industrialization, integration and modernization of Africa.
Second, health cooperation. In the "post-Ebola" era, China will take concrete steps to actively help the affected countries realize economic reconstruction. At the same time, China will work with Africa to build disease prevention and control and public health security system.
Third, peace and security cooperation. Development could not be achieved without peace. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of world's anti-fascist war. China is willing to work with Africa and the international community to safeguard peace and security. China always supports African countries in resolving African issues in African ways and will make greater efforts to engage in peace and security issues in a constructive way so as to contribute to the lasting peace and stability of Africa.
In conclusion, I wish to thank the organizers for their good preparations and arrangements for this colloquium. I sincerely hope that this colloquium could produce more fresh ideas so as to inject new impetus to the development of China-Africa relations. I wish the colloquium a full success!
Thank you!
