PRESIDENT XI JINPING, in a congratulatory letter to the International Forum on Reform and Opening-up and Poverty Reduction on Nov 1 in Beijing.

"There is no perfection, but only improvement, as far as the issue of human rights is concerned. China is willing to exchange its experiences with other countries with a responsible attitude on the basis of equality and mutual respect in order to achieve common progress."

HUA CHUNYING, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.

"Pakistan reiterated that its relations with China are a cornerstone of its foreign policy."

KONG XUANYOU, vice-minister of foreign affairs.

Xi vows teamwork to promote global aviation

President Xi Jinping said on Nov 6 that China remains committed to promoting development in aviation and aerospace technologies with other countries, allowing people around the world to share the benefits of such progress. Mankind has yearned to explore the vast skies since ancient times, and Chinese have passed on their dreams of flying for generations, Xi said in a congratulatory letter to the opening ceremony of the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province. Over the ages, aviation and aerospace technologies have seen great achievements, helping facilitate the progress of human civilization, Xi said. In the future, development in aviation and aerospace technologies will bring more prosperity to mankind, he added.

Fresh victory marks new esports height

For millions of Chinese esports fans, this year marks a new apex of excitement for the gaming community, especially after the country's stellar showing over the weekend in a key competition. Chinese esports club Invictus Gaming defeated European club Fnatic 3-0 to claim the championship at the 2018 League of Legends World Championship in Incheon, South Korea, on Nov 3. It was the first time that a club from China's League of Legends Pro League won the title in the world championship's eight-year history. The long-awaited victory led to a flurry of activity on social media, with views of related news hitting the billions on Weibo. At least a dozen of the top 50 most trendy Weibo topics that night were about China's victory in the world championship.

Ancient jade artifacts found at Hubei site

Archaeologists recently discovered jade artifacts more than 4,000 years old at a site in Hubei province, local authorities said on Nov 5. Jade battle-axes between 4,600 and 5,100 years old have been unearthed at the Mulintou site in Baokang county. Other items, including human skeletons, stoneware and pottery, have also been found at the site.

Yangtze River docks removed or improved

A total of 1,361 illegal docks along the main channel of the Yangtze River have been demolished or renovated, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. Increasing human activity has damaged the ecology of the Yangtze River and endangered rare species and biological resources over the years, says Xiong Qiquan of the commission. Xiong says 1,254 docks were torn down to make room for greenbelt areas; the remaining 107 were upgraded.

Relocations are helping to ease poverty

About 160,000 farmers and herders in poverty-stricken areas of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will be relocated to improve their lives in urban and tourist areas by 2019, the regional government said. Harsh environmental conditions and frequent geological disasters have hindered the development of the local economy, and relocation has been an important part of Xinjiang's fight against poverty.

Apology given for 'harming' a PLA founder

An online cartoon-making company publicly apologized to the family of Ye Ting, a former military leader, for making a video clip that harmed Ye's reputation. The compensation it was ordered to pay will be donated to a foundation. In the apology, which was published in China Youth Daily Nov 5, Xi'an Momo Information Technology said: "We feel deeply sorry and remorseful for making the video which not only harmed Ye Ting's reputation ... but also brought mental pain to family members of Ye and hurt the public's national and historical feelings." The company also promised to respect history in the future.

Nature reserves have big footprint

There are 11,029 nature reserves in China, covering more than 18 percent of the country's land area, the head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration told an international forum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Nov 5. Last year, the reserves represented 14.8 percent of China's land area, according to data released by the administration at a news conference in April.

Cruise ship project gets underway

China started a project on Nov 6 to build its first large, domestically made cruise ship, a major stride in the nation's shipbuilding capabilities. A cooperation agreement on the design and construction of two 135,500-metric-ton Vista-class cruise ships was signed by China State Shipbuilding Corp, Carnival Corp and Fincantieri on Nov 6 in Shanghai during the China International Import Expo, according to a statement by CSSC, a State-owned conglomerate. Vista-class is a designation made by Fincantieri to describe a ship with certain features - including most staterooms with ocean views and balconies.

Media outlets urged to reinforce goodwill

Chinese and Russian media outlets should focus more on aligning the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union to forge even closer connections between their peoples, a senior Communist Party of China official said on Nov 4. In the keynote speech delivered at the Fourth China-Russia Media Forum held in Shanghai, Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged the media to further promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Russia. Huang, also head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said media from the two countries should enhance relations and offer comprehensive, objective and truthful coverage of events in both nations.

Technology crucial for undersea subway tunnel

China's first undersea tunnel for a subway employed advanced technologies and machinery to combat complex geological conditions. The cross-sea tunnel - an 8.1-kilometer segment, 3.49 km of which is underwater - spans Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao, Shandong province, and links the coastal city's downtown area in the east with the Huangdao district in the west. It is the country's deepest undersea tunnel, with its deepest section extending 88 meters below sea level. It bears water pressure stress of at least 8.8 kilograms per square centimeter. Other undersea tunnels have been built for vehicles, but this is the first for a subway.

Safety barriers expected to protect bus drivers

Chinese cities are stepping up their efforts to keep bus drivers safe from violently angry passengers after a tragic bus crash on Oct 28 caused by a woman who attacked the driver. Thirteen people died, and two remain missing. Keeping passengers separated from the driver's cabin is the most commonly suggested option for improving safety. Chongqing, where the accident happened, has announced that independent driver's cabins will be set up inside buses, and safety partitions in the form of nets or bars will be installed. The company that operates buses in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, said that more than half the city's 8,000-plus buses were already equipped with safety partitions before the accident, and it aims to upgrade the rest with safety gates by 2019. Beijing, where 70 percent of buses have separate driver's cabins, has promised to gradually replace old buses that do not have safety partitions with new ones having such devices.

Rewards may encourage whistleblowers

China will establish a system that rewards whistleblowers who expose food or drug safety problems, as a measure to improve supervision and deter violations of the law, a senior official for market regulation said on Nov 6. Whistleblowing can play an important supplementary role in monitoring food and drug safety, based on global experience, Zhang Mao, minister of the State Administration for Market Regulation, said at an international forum on food safety cooperation during the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. He said whistleblowers have played a role in exposing problems in most food and drug safety cases, adding that a recent vaccine scandal that shocked the nation was the result of whistleblowing. Companies will face much heavier punishments, including huge fines, for offenses involving food and drug safety in an attempt to deter such violations, he said.

Afghan children treated for heart disease

A hundred children from Afghanistan with congenital heart defects have received medical treatment in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in four batches since September last year as part of the Red Cross Society of China's foreign humanitarian mission. On Nov 7, 18 young Afghans from the last group who had been hospitalized at the First Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University in the region's capital, Urumqi, since late October, were discharged and boarded a plane bound for Kabul, their country's capital.

Kenya's Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway welcomed a special passenger on Nov 3 - its 2 millionth passenger since it began service on May 31 of last year.

The passenger, Rose Mbogo, a teacher from the Kenya Medical Training College Msambweni Campus, told the crowd gathered to mark the event that the Madaraka Express is very convenient, comfortable and beautiful. "It has changed my life in terms of transportation," she said.

Li Xuhang (second from right), the charge d'affairs of the Chinese embassy in Kenya, and General Manager Li Jiuping (right) present gifts to members of Rose Mbogo's family. Liu Hongjie / China Daily

Rose and her husband, Ishmael Wango Makumi, work in different cities so they take the commuter train frequently. Before it was put into operation, they relied on the old meter gauge railway, which took a whole night to get from the port city of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi.

The modern express train by comparison can accomplish the same journey in just four hours, with an average speed of 120 kilometers per hour.

"Madaraka Express has brought Nairobi and Mombasa closer than they used to be," Mbogo said. "We used to sleep all the way. You would start your journey in the evening and arrive in the morning. You would get tired and sweat all the way, but that is a story in the past. In the Madaraka Express, there is air conditioning in the coach. You don't sweat, you don't get tired and you arrive very fast," Mbogo added.

She expressed her gratitude to the Kenya government for supporting the modern railway and to the Chinese companies that built and operate the railway.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Counselor Li Xuhang, who is now the charge d'affairs of the Chinese embassy in Kenya, called the railway the most important cooperation project implemented by China and Kenya. He said it is also a showcase of the win-win cooperation and friendship between the two countries.

Li mentioned that according to a recent report by news network CNN, taking the SGR train has been ranked fifth on a list of "the 20 best things to do in Kenya". "So it is now a name brand for Kenya's beautiful scenery, the Kenyan people's hospitality and passion, and also the Chinese companies that increase their investment and fulfil their social responsibilities in Kenya.

According to the diplomat, after 17 months of operation, the passenger and cargo volumes of the SGR railway had surpassed 2 million people and 200,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo, which has greatly improved the logistical situation in the region and eased the congestion at the East African port city of Mombasa.

It is for the same reason that Philip Mainga, acting managing director of Kenya Railways Corp, considered the 2 millionth passenger, an achievement achieved 10 months ahead of schedule, as a milestone for the country's railway history.

"We were here a few months ago to celebrate 1 million passengers," Mainga said. "We started from only one pair of trains per day and now we are doing two pairs. The capacity that we are handling now every day is around 6,000 commuters. I think this is a great milestone that the Kenya Railways and the government has made, and the future is much brighter."

On behalf of the operation team, Li Jiuping, general manager of Africa Star Railway Operation Co Ltd, expressed his willingness to provide better service.

"The company will take further initiatives to strictly fulfill operation and maintenance agreements, enhance cooperation with all parties, shoulder the international obligations and responsibilities of Chinese enterprises and make a greater contribution to Kenya's social and economic development," Li said.

The European Union and China are both seeking to boost connectivity between Asia and Europe, but Hailemariam Desalegn, former chairman of the African Union, says the two partners could also combine efforts on another big continent: Africa.

Hailemariam, who served as Ethiopian prime minister for six years, calls for trilateral cooperation, which he believes is the best way to stimulate economic development in Africa, reinforce the global order and benefit humanity as a whole.

He points out that both China and the EU have recently focused on connecting Asia and Europe, while at the same time expanding trade and investment ties with Africa.

On Oct 15, the EU's foreign affairs ministers endorsed a comprehensive new strategy to better connect Europe and Asia.

The Connectivity Strategy was also on the agenda of the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting, held on Oct 18 and 19 in Brussels. At the EU headquarters, 53 ASEM partners from Asia and Europe vowed to strengthen collaboration on multilateralism and connectivity.

The Connectivity Strategy has been widely interpreted as the European version of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. However, Hailemariam says there's no need for Europe and China to "duplicate" their respective plans.

"China's Belt and Road Initiative and the EU's connectivity plan should be integrated," he says. "They need cooperation and integration. If Europe and China combine their efforts, we can have a very strong partnership between Europe, China and Africa."

Hailemariam made his remarks a month after leaders of more than 50 African countries gathered in Beijing for the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which rolled out major initiatives on industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity building, healthcare, people-to-people exchanges, and peace and security.

China has also pledged to invest 52 billion euros ($60 billion; ￡46 billion) in projects in Africa, write off some debt for poorer African nations and set up a peace and security fund.

In September, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also proposed a new alliance with Africa to deepen economic relations and boost investment and jobs.

According to the proposal, the EU would provide 40 billion euros in grants for Africa over seven years starting in 2021.

At the EU summit held in mid-October, European leaders welcomed the commission's initiative and stressed that EU-Africa relations are of paramount importance in a rapidly changing global landscape.

Hailemariam disagrees with some observers who say the EU's new alliance proposal will rival China's role in Africa. Instead, he thinks Europe and China will increasingly share a common approach toward Africa to deepen trade and investment ties, strengthen win-win partnerships and shape a better future for Africans.

He emphasizes that China and Europe should have equal relationships with Africa. "We have to optimize our global resources and maximize the benefits by making full use of each other's strength," he adds.

Hailemariam says his vision is to create opportunities in Africa, but that requires a structural transformation of the continent's economy. "I think Africa is working toward this goal," he says. "A tripartite cooperation between Africa, Europe and China as well as some other Asian countries is needed to push forward the next tide of economic development."

Hailemariam has traveled to China a dozen times over the past few years in search of Chinese investors for Ethiopia. "We have set up a sustainable and eco-friendly special economic zone in Ethiopia. We have also set up industrial parks and attracted large amounts of Chinese investment, creating a number of facilities and jobs locally," he says.

In 2017, China's foreign direct investment in Africa reached $3.1 billion - nearly 40 times that of 2003. Chinese investment was traditionally focused on energy and infrastructure, but Hailemariam says it now covers all sectors, with a particular emphasis on services.

He says China's middle class is increasingly visiting the continent, pulling up Africa's tourism industry and service sectors.

"In my new role as founder of the Hailemariam and Roman Foundation, I plan to make the protection and sustainable management of our natural resources and biodiversity my top priority through the sustainable and community-led expansion of our tourism sector," he says.

Data from China's Ministry of Commerce shows that in 2017, China-Africa trade reached $170 billion. China has been Africa's top trading partner for nine consecutive years.

In March, 44 of the 55 African Union member states signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. Once ratified, the continentwide agreement will create the largest free trade area in terms of participating countries since the formation of the World Trade Organization.

"Africa is now embarking on the African Continental Free Trade Area. This is a huge opportunity for China and Europe, even for the United States, which is very eager to invest in Africa," he adds.

As part of the vision of the African Union Agenda 2063, the area is expected to create a single market encompassing 1.2 billion people and more than $2 trillion in combined GDP. In the meantime, a protocol on the free movement of people was adopted by 30 African countries.

Hailemariam says the deal will unleash trade between African countries, which he says is a crucial factor in the continent's economic development, and will boost trade between Africa and its international trading partners.

Since stepping down as Ethiopian prime minister this year, Hailemariam has been advising on economic sustainability - in particular green growth and climate change issues - for the Brenthurst Foundation, an economic development think tank.

The mission of the Johannesburg-based foundation is to support initiatives and seek opportunities to facilitate African development and enhance the continent's overall competitiveness.

Hailemariam says that with Africa's booming population, it is crucial to explore opportunities for economic growth and job creation, especially for African youths.

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for greater investment in jobs for young people in Africa, whom he described as the continent's "greatest asset".

Hailemariam agrees. "Agenda 2063 focuses on youth development and employment as well. Young people can embrace the new technologies very well. I think there's going to be a better life for them," he says.

Technology transfer and knowhow development will empower young people, Hailemariam says, adding that Europe could use its geographical proximity to Africa to help speed up the shift toward new energy, smart agriculture and digital economy.

The UN estimates that the African population is 1.29 billion and says the current median age of the population is under 20. A UN population report predicts that by 2050, more than half of all global population growth will occur in Africa.

"It's a very young continent in terms of population structure," Hailemariam says. "It's younger than China and much younger than Europe. It's also rising in population size. There's a huge opportunity to use this young and big continent to shape the global order."

While US President Donald Trump has pulled the United States out of multilateral cooperation on global issues like climate change, Hailemariam says the combined efforts of Africa, Asia and Europe can have a huge impact on humanity.

"China, India and Africa together account for more than half of the world's population," he says. "Together with Europe, I think we can change the global order."

Hailemariam Desalegn, former chairman of the African Union, talked to China Daily during his recent trip to Brussels. Liu Jia / For China Daily

Nowadays, as information flows quickly and is available with the mere click of a mouse, what becomes important is who will provide the information for people to better understand each other.

Hu Xiaohan, executive vice-chairman of the All-China Journalists Association, has an answer: the media.

Taieb Zahar (left), president of Federation of Tunisian Journal Directors, and Hu Xiaohan, executive vice-chairman of the All-Chinese Journalists Association, who is also head of the visiting Chinese media delegation, sign an agreement to normalize exchanges between the two associations in Tunis, Tunisia on July 16. Zhang Ting / China Daily

Leading a delegation of journalists from major Chinese media to Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, Hu urged Chinese and North African media communicators to strengthen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Chinese and Moroccan media should report more about cooperative projects under the Belt and Road Initiative and let more people in the world know the achievements," Hu said.

He signed cooperation and exchange agreements with Moroccan and Tunisian federations of journalists and had fruitful discussions with his counterparts in Egypt.

Hu stressed that exchanges between the All-China Journalists Association and its counterparts in the three countries should be specialized and normalized.

"We should send media delegations to each other's country frequently for mutual learning and set up joint news organizations to undertake joint interviews on the theme of the Belt and Road Initiative," he said while in Tunisia.

In Morocco, Hu called on both sides to enhance ties based on the consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Moroccan King Mohammed VI during the king's visit to China in 2016.

Bilateral economic cooperation between Morocco and China has been growing steadily since the establishment of a strategic partnership during the king's visit.

Moroccan Minister of Culture and Communication Mohamed Laaraj said:"The king's visit to China opened a new era for bilateral relations. Media cooperation will further enhance the two countries' cooperation."

Abdelilah Tahani, Morocco's director of communications and public relations, said the media could play a bigger role in promoting people-to-people exchanges.

Taieb Zahar, president of the Tunisian Federation of Newspaper Managers, said: "Media can promote relations between people of the two countries. Cooperation in the media sector is a win-win project for both sides."

Zahar, who has been to China eight times in 20 years, spoke highly of China's earthshaking changes after the reform and opening-up policy and is eager to visit China again. He said Tunisia needs China as a friend while undertaking political and economic development.

Abdel Moati, executive deputy director of the Egyptian State Information Service, said: "Egypt and China are old friends. President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has visited China four times and will pay the fifth visit soon. Each time, the joint efforts of the two countries' media play an important role."

Abdel Mohsen Salama, chairman of the board of the Al-Ahram Establishment and head of the Egyptian Journalist Syndicate, said: "We have had close connection with China's Xinhua News Agency and we have many articles reporting China's every aspect every day. And I think the cooperation between us should be normalized."

For Chinese Ambassador to Morocco Li Li, media cooperation is a crucial part of bilateral ties, and media can help pave the way for success in many other sectors.

"The two countries' media should develop further relations to make people in the two nations know each other better and set a foundation for cooperation in other sectors," Li said.

Sino-Moroccan bilateral trade volume topped$4.3 billion last year, and Morocco has witnessed waves of Chinese investment, especially in infrastructure construction and industrialization, including construction of a suspension bridge connecting the capital of Rabat with the neighboring city of Sale. The bridge, one of the longest in Africa, was completed in 2016.

Morocco's location just 15 kilometers from Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar is strategically important. The country has been improving its infrastructure to take advantage of its proximity to Europe.

Morocco has good trade relations with neighboring countries and can serve as a gateway for China to access French-speaking nations, officials say.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative, North Africa's tourism markets also might benefit from a growing number of Chinese travelers who increasingly want to experience more of the world.

To ride the wave of Chinese tourists' outbound travel, media cooperation has become even more important, according to Hu. Such cooperation can help increase the exposure of North African countries to the Chinese public, he said.

Hu believes content sharing and more exchanges between media can help to cultivate potential tourists.

Morocco granted Chinese tourists visa-free entry in June 2016, and Tunisia did so in February last year. In addition, Chinese are granted visa-on-arrival convenience in Egypt.

"Egypt is a vital part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The reporting on Egypt and Egyptians in Chinese media brings more and more Chinese travelers to Egypt. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, I hope the cooperation of the two countries' media will attract more investment,"said Moati, of the Egyptian State Information Service.

According to a recent study by Travelzoo, an online publisher of travel and entertainment deals, the easing of the visa requirements for Morocco and Tunisia saw rapid growth of tourism to the countries. Six months after the announcement of the easing, Morocco logged 378 percent year-on-year growth, while Tunisia recorded 240 percent year-on-year growth.

zhangting@chinadaily.com.cn

The eighth African Digital TV Development Seminar wrapped up at Yanxi Lakeside in Beijing's Huairou district on June 29. The event has developed into an important platform for China-Africa cooperation in broadcasting and other related fields over the past eight years since its initiation in 2011.

The annual seminar held by StarTimes Ltd, a Chinese technology firm and media supplier, this year attracted more than 400 representatives from 50 countries in Africa and Asia this year.

Hao Lei, CEO of StarTimes' Ghana branch, introduces StarTimes' new product New Transtar to Curtis Perry Kwabla Okudzeto, vice-minister of information of Ghana. Provided to China Daily

According to StarTimes President Pang Xinxing, this year is significant since the company launched its online video streaming services in an app on June 12. This has coordinated 23 telecommunications operators and covered 450 million mobile phone users across Africa.

Also, the China-aided Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages project will be fully implemented by StarTimes this year.

Pang said the company would like to serve as a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and Africa, adhering to the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith and upholding the values of friendship, justice and shared interests.

Richard Achinda, general manager of the National Network of Satellite Telecommunications in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said this was his third time at the forum since 2015, when the process of digital migration started in his country.

"Every time I have come here, I have updated my knowledge and learned from China's experience," he said. "The program we are pushing forward with the well-known broadcaster and investor StarTimes is underway in the DRC. I appreciate the good integration of StarTimes and its workers into African society."

Xia Huang, ambassador of the Department of African Affairs in China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said problems like a lack of basic infrastructure and inadequate communications technologies were still faced by some African countries.

"The projects carried out by StarTimes have not only provided Africans with access to TV signals and the outside world, but also expanded local employment," he said.

During the two-day seminar, theme forums were presented to discuss media development in the digital era, upgrading of multiservice platforms and financing for projects.

Michael Dearham, a senior consultant for StarTimes, said that, with the rapid development of technologies, consumers' TV requirements had become increasingly diversified. It is crucial to make full use of databases and create user-oriented content.

Audiences in Africa will be able to watch programs provided by Discovery Channel and Fox on StarTimes, as the enterprise signed a contract with the cable channels on June 29 to obtain rebroadcasting rights.

Until now, the Beijing-based media provider has provided over 480 channels to African users, with programs presented in 11 languages, including English, French, Portuguese and Chinese.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn

Experts from think tanks throughout Africa and China gathered at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 4 and 5 to explore lessons that can be drawn from alternative development paths.

They met as part of the lead-up to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Beijing in September, and in celebration of the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy.

The seventh annual meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 4 and 5. Provided to China Daily

The gathering, the seventh annual meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum, was organized by the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University and the Center for International Strategic Studies of the Counsellors' Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet.

China is now the largest investor in Africa, and more than 10,000 Chinese businesses have a presence there. China's trade with Africa has multiplied 200 times since the start of reform and opening-up in 1978, and almost 50 times since 2000, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.

Chen Mingkun, deputy director of the institute at Zhejiang Normal University, told China Daily on the sidelines of the event that relations in many fields, including economics, culture, education and diplomacy, are fast developing between China and Africa.

Chen said Africa will not follow the Chinese development model directly. "But we can learn from each other. We want to let more and more Chinese know the real Africa and also let African people know China and how China developed over the past 40 years. Every year, we invite many scholars to this forum, and together we can find new ideas."

Chen also said that, like in China, average people in Africa are hardworking and want to build a better life. But many of them lack skills, capital, infrastructure and technology. Links with China can be a win-win way to build the capacity of African economies.

Many speakers at the forum debated the pros and cons of China's current high levels of infrastructure investment and construction in Africa.

Peter Kagwanja, president of the African Policy Institute in Kenya, said China and Africa are following their separate nonhegemonic and win-win paths to development. However, he stressed that infrastructure investment must be profitable and productive to avoid an unsustainable debt burden. He added that the September FOCAC summit in Beijing should emphasize the need for industrial parks and also examine ways to avoid corruption and political patronage in African projects.

Xie Ping, vice-president of the Export-Import Bank of China, agreed that "if the infrastructure does not match the development level of a country, it will cause a debt crisis".

Peking University economist Justin Lin Yifu, in a speech to the conference, noted that when China's reform and opening-up started in 1978, sub-Saharan Africa's GDP per capita was more than three times that of China's. At that time, 84 percent of Chinese lived on less than $1.25 (1.07 euros; 94 pence) per day, the international poverty standard. He said labor-intensive industrialization is a key path toward prosperity and that African countries now have a great opportunity to industrialize.

Zerihun Woldo, vice-president of Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, summed up the discussion. "African countries will not follow the China model directly, but China is an inspiration," he told China Daily."It shows that development can be achieved."

davidblair@chinadaily.com.cn

President Xi Jinping sent congratulations on July 1 to the opening of the leaders' meeting of the 31st African Union Summit in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania.

Hailing the African Union as a model of the continent's unity and self-development, Xi said the organization had actively pushed forward its integration process.

Xi said member nations had continued to speak with one voice on major international and regional issues and had continued to increase their ability to safeguard peace and security.

He said he hoped the African Union could guide African countries to achieve more progress.

The president also said he expected to meet with African leaders during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September. He also hoped to discuss plans for China-Africa cooperation and development, thus benefiting the people of both sides and contributing to world peace and development.

The FOCAC summit in Beijing is themed as win-win cooperation and joining hands to build a closer community with a shared future for China and Africa.

China will work with African countries to link the theme of the summit with the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Africa, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union, as well as the development strategies of various African countries to push forward the China-Africa comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, Xi added.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn

She was accompanied to Kenya by her two children and her husband, and would later give birth to her third child in 2012. However, while she enjoyed her job, she had a nagging feeling that she would like to venture into entrepreneurship - for the sake of the future of Chinese children living in Kenya.

In 2016, Liu realized that her children were more fluent in English than in Mandarin and that their memory of Chinese culture was fading. Her third child knew nothing about Chinese culture, and this worried her.

Children perform during Children's Day event held at the China Kenya cultural education center in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 1. Edith Mutethya / China Daily

"I feared that my children might completely forget Mandarin and face a communication challenge once we went back to China. This would be in addition to experiencing culture shock. I had to think outside the box for the sake of my children's future," she says.

Her concern kindled her entrepreneurial instincts, and she came up with the idea of starting a school to teach Mandarin and Chinese culture, not only to the children of the Chinese community living in Nairobi but also to local people. It would also be an opportunity to teach Chinese nationals Kiswahili, a common language in Kenya.

Armed with that conviction and a passion to contribute to the growth of people-to-people interaction between China and Kenya, Liu launched the China Kenya Cultural Education Center in April 2017.

Since then, the center has experienced tremendous growth. In addition to Mandarin, it also teaches art, music, kung fu, tai chi and yoga, as well as Kiswahili.

"Unlike some years back, Chinese expatriates now move to Africa with their children. The center has thus given Chinese children an opportunity to learn about their culture, language and customs to avoid culture shock when they go back home," says Liu.

While the relationship between Kenya and China is close at the governmental level, Liu says people-to-people relationships could be better, perhaps due to the language barrier. This is why she was motivated to give Chinese and Kenyans alike an opportunity to learn each other's languages - to make communication easier.

She says effective communication will facilitate friendship and make doing business easier.

"To know more about people, you have to first know their language, after which it will be easier to communicate with them. China-Kenya people-to-people interaction can only be enhanced through Kenyans learning Mandarin and Chinese learning English and Kiswahili," she says.

Liu says the center has yet to attract a significant number of local people because most think it is targeting only children.

"We will advertise to create awareness among local people, especially adults, of courses that we are offering," she says.

The tuition fee is 500 Kenyan shillings ($5) per class per student. Children's classes are for one hour on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, after regular classes, and two hours on Saturday mornings. Adults can make appointments for convenient times.

On June 1, the center organized its first Children's Day, attracting many Chinese people living in Nairobi.

Noting that Children's Day is keenly observed in China, Liu says she wanted to give Chinese nationals living in Kenya an opportunity to observe it. "In addition to being taught in class, it's important to give children an opportunity to showcase their talents as well as have fun," Liu says.

The event was sponsored by the Kenya Chinese Women Association, which aims to enhance Sino-African relations and integration into local society.

After the success of the first event, Liu says she will make the Children's Day celebration an annual event.

Wang Le, the country director of Save the Children, says Children's Day should be observed across the globe because children are the future."It should be a day to remember what is really important for the children. Children should be treated well and special attention paid to those who are needy," she says.

Wang commended Liu for establishing the education center, saying it has provided a platform for people to learn about Chinese culture. The center is playing a key role in promoting China-Kenya people-to-people interaction, she adds.

During the Children's Day celebration, the center donated foodstuffs to the Tania Integrated Centre, a community-based organization that caters to children with physical impairments and other disabilities.

Jotham Kiogora, the center's program manager, commended the Chinese community in Kenya for its continued support. "We are grateful to the Chinese community in Nairobi. You have been very close to us, you have encouraged us in so many ways, you have donated food and clothing to our children and have encouraged us to move on," he says.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

Brighton Kumchedwa, Malawi's director of national parks and wildlife, has hailed the Chinese government, through its embassy in Malawi, for supporting the Southeast African country's Stop Wildlife Crime campaign against the illegal poaching of wild animals.

"When you look at the value chain of wildlife crime, it has supply (source), transit and demand sides. So if we are to deal with the crime holistically, it is important to deal with the demand side of things," he says.

"Malawi is both a source and transit state, while many Asian countries are consumer nations (on the demand side), so it will be a game-changer when source nations and consumer countries start to work together in this fight against wildlife crime," Kumchedwa says.

Another environmentalist, Godfrey Mfiti, also praises China for playing an active role in the protection of wildlife in Malawi.

"The involvement of the Chinese government in particular is of great interest," he says. "This will strengthen the safety and security of wildlife in Africa, as Asia and America are destinations for wildlife products. Indeed, support from China will help combat the vice. It is hoped that these governments will take a proactive approach that will include provision of technical support."

During the relaunch of the campaign on June 6 in the Malawian capital of Lilongwe, the charge d'affaires for the Chinese embassy, Wang Xiusheng, pledged his government's full support for the initiative.

"We wholly support the Malawi government in its efforts to protect its natural heritage. Visitors to Malawi must understand and abide by the laws, in that it is illegal to buy, sell or possess wildlife products without a licence, regardless of the value, and that these offenses will be treated as a serious crime," Wang said.

The Chinese government has demonstrated its commitment to the campaign by sponsoring displays at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe and other borders posts. China has joined the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany in sponsoring the displays.

The landlocked country of Malawi shares borders with Mozambique to the south and east, Zambia to the west and Tanzania to the north.

The joint initiative in 2014, which involved the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, has been updated to publicize the new penalties for wildlife crime that were introduced in the Wildlife Act, amended in 2017.

Under the revised regulations, offenders can be imprisoned for up to 30 years for illegal possession of wildlife products, and the regulations cover an additional 126 protected species. The species include plants, fungi, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish and invertebrates.

Elephant ivory, rhinoceros horn, hippopotamus teeth and live pangolin are often seized at airports in Malawi.

"Illegal wildlife trade is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity, which not only impacts the survival of wildlife, but also the prospects for human development and well-being," says US ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer. "Malawi must be applauded for its swift and strong response to the challenge, and we look forward to seeing this highlighted at the upcoming Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London this October."

Recently, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species identified Malawi as southern Africa's principal transit hub for ivory trafficking.

According to the Malawi government, 114 trafficking arrests were made in 2017 - an average of 9.5 per month versus 0.7 before the recent establishment of an investigation unit - and 125 traffickers, dealing primarily in ivory, were sentenced to prison.

The Malawi government's records indicate that sentences of up to 18 years in prison have already been passed by courts, where previously the average fine for wildlife crime was $40, with no custodial sentences passed between 2010 and 2015.

For China Daily

Africa's landmark free trade area aims to transform global and intra-continental exchanges, boost manufacturing and create jobs

Before investing $400,000 to set up a transformer manufacturing plant in Kenya, the managing director of Yocean Group Ltd, Dylan Yu, conducted a feasibility study that found manufacturing locally would be costly due to poor value chains. So Yu opted to establish a repair workshop while building his company.

Beginning in 2014, he marketed himself as a local manufacturer and competed against foreign imports, mostly from India, until 2016, when he won a lucrative government deal to supply 2,400 locally assembled transformers valued at about $16 million.

Yu, who has an established market share and competes against seven other local companies, has mixed feelings about the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

"I think the first beneficiaries will be manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods," he says, adding that they will need to have the right price for a quality product, unlike his business, in which entry requirements are stringent.

"Governments insist on companies having a presence locally. In addition, you must prove your technical capacity and qualifications, among other requirements, to be considered by utility companies that are largely state-owned. Price is sometimes not the primary issue," Yu says.

The AfCFTA is an agreement launched in March after 44 African countries committed to open up their borders and ease tariffs to facilitate trade within the continent. If realized, it will create the world's biggest trading bloc - 1.2 billion people with a GDP of over $3 trillion, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. It will buoy consumer spending to about $1.4 trillion in 2020 and increase intra-African trade by as much as $35 billion per year, or 52 percent above the baseline, by 2022, UNECA says.

Momentum is already building. On May 13 and 14, ministers of finance, planning and economic development gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to discuss how to phase out tariffs, scale up infrastructure investments to improve connectivity, eliminate non-tariff trade barriers such as excessive documentation and customs delays, increase manufacturing and processing capacity, and prepare for the digital economy.

Africa's manufacturing sector is growing, albeit slowly. According to UN Industrial Development Organization statistics for the third quarter of 2017, the sector grew at a rate of 1.3 percent of the world's total manufacturing output - an increase of 0.8 percent from the previous quarter -compared with 26.8 percent for the Asia-Pacific region and 16 percent for East Asia, with China logging 19.3 percent and North America 20 percent.

The sector in Africa has remained relatively undiversified, with exports predominantly being extractive and nonextractive products such as oil, gas and minerals. Manufacturing is seen as the path to guaranteeing more sustainable growth and creating structural reforms and decent jobs for the continent's largely youthful population.

However, it is expected to be an uphill task. Intra-Africa trade has been low, at about 16 percent of the continent's total exports, compared with intra-Asia trade, at 59 percent, and intra-Europe trade, at 69 percent, UNECA says. Moreover, local manufacturers have faced the highest tariffs globally, at 6.9 percent, when trading within Africa.

However, one expert says Chinese manufacturers have laid the foundation for success on the continent.

"China is Africa's biggest trading partner, and its private sector has managed to penetrate our markets," says Stephen Karingi, the director of the capacity development division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. "It is therefore possible to examine their success and strategies to enable us to design our national strategies."

According to data from China's Ministry of Commerce, privately owned Chinese companies are making more than 150 investments a year in the manufacturing sector in Africa, up from only two in 2000. A recent report by McKinsey & Co says that more than 10,000 Chinese companies are operating on the continent, with 44 percent of the 1,073 Chinese companies interviewed in eight African countries making capital-intensive investments.

A World Bank report indicated that at the end of 2011, China's cumulative investment stock in the manufacturing sector in Africa had grown by 10 percent year-on-year to $2.4 billion, and in 2013, it accounted for 15 percent of Chinese foreign direct investment. In terms of greenfield projects, between 2003 and 2014, the largest share of Chinese capital investment and the largest number of such projects were in manufacturing, the report said.

The report, Manufacturing FDI in Sub-Saharan Africa: Trends, Determinants and Impact, said that between 2011 and 2014, China was the top investor in Ethiopia, accounting for 2 percent of GDP.

Manufacturing is the largest recipient of foreign direct investment, both by level of investment (76 percent of the total) and number of projects (41 percent). It was also the largest non-agriculture sector in terms of job-creating FDI between 2008 and 2014, at 28 percent, compared with 54 percent for agriculture, the report said.

On infrastructure, China has expanded its participation in funding and construction. In a World Bank report titled Building Bridges: China's Growing Role as Infrastructure Financier for Sub-Saharan Africa, Chinese investment often goes to large-scale infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on hydropower generation and railways. "More than 35 African countries are engaging with China on infrastructure finance deals, with the biggest recipients being Nigeria, Angola, Sudan and Ethiopia," the report said.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia is already riding on the success of a growing manufacturing sector. With sustained expansion - GDP growth averages 10 percent annually - the East African nation's manufacturing sector exports brought in $437 million in the country's fiscal year 2016-17. According to a World Bank report, the country's growth in the past decade has helped to significantly reduce poverty.

Ethiopia has embarked on an ambitious program of upgrading its infrastructure, building industrial parks and formulating industrial policies and strategies to support the development of industrialization. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says this has led to meaningful improvements in foreign direct investment.

"Our efforts have yielded tangible results as evidenced in the growing share of the industrial sector's contribution to our economy, " he said during a conference of African ministers of finance, planning and economic development in Addis Ababa. "With the (AfCFTA) in place, and once it enters into force in particular, I am confident that the opportunities for us to attract more investments will only increase."

The unfolding of the AfCFTA is expected to increase governments' expenditure on infrastructure. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the continent's overall commitment to infrastructure development averaged$75 billion annually between 2012 and 2016.

"However, more needs to be done, as the infrastructure deficit remains high, leading to many lost opportunities," says Vera Songwe, executive secretary of UNECA. "Energy, for example, continues to be a major hindrance in Africa's ability to establish competitive industries."

In addition, by creating a large consumer market, the AfCFTA is expected to give needed impetus to the China-Africa industrial partnering and industrial capacity cooperation- proposed during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2015 by President Xi Jinping- to speed up the relocation of jobs from China. The World Bank says Africa is well positioned to attract jobs outsourced by China as the latter's domestic labor costs increase.

"A scaled-up market is attractive to Chinese manufacturers. First, it reduces the need to negotiate tariff structures with 54 different countries and customize products for each market, too. A common market is better for planning," says Robert Kagiri, a strategy and policy consultant and adjunct lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies at the University of Nairobi.

Kagiri says this will augur well with the implementation of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative, whose aim is to connect Asia, Europe and Africa. "Over the recent past, we have seen China easily fund cross-border infrastructural projects, such as the Djibouti-Ethiopia railway, and strongly urge East African countries to be linked to the Mombasa-Nairobi railway under the (Belt and Road). I think going forward, this trend will gain track as Africa consolidates its market."

According to Anzetse Were, a development economist based in Kenya, the realization of a continental trade bloc needs a coherent infrastructure plan by African countries to ensure a seamless network of linkages. "Once this is in place, it will be easy to align with the (Belt and Road) and source financing," she says.

While conceding that this will increase Africa's appetite for loans, she says most African countries are yet to establish innovative and effective public-private partnership policies that would open doors to alternative financing from the private sector.

"I think governments do not have capacity in terms of negotiating good PPP arrangements, and thus this has seen them shy away from making such agreements," Were says.

In addition, private sectors in most countries lack the capacity to implement mega projects, which prevents them from undertaking government bids. "The interest rates are so high compared to capital costs accessed by foreign firms. Therefore, a lot needs to be done by governments toward accessibility to cheap financing as the(AfCFTA) comes into action," Were says.

A lack of skills and technical capacity is another challenge facing Africa. For example, the continent has the least number of oil refineries in the world - 46 compared with about 140 in the United States, according to Centurion Law Gropup, a pan-African law firm based in South Africa.

"We will depend on partnerships with foreign companies to enhance our manufacturing sectors to meet demand. Otherwise, our import bill will still soar as populatioon increases," says Were.

Policy inconsistencies are also suppressing local manufacturing, says Yu, the managing director of Yocean Group. "In Kenya, computer parts and spares are levied a 25 percent import duty, while an already assembled computer is duty-free."

Other barriers are weak value and supply chains, which forces his company to look abroad for raw materials, Yu says. Besides delays and high costs, the company is forced to keep a huge stock, thus tying up capital, he adds.

"We also need direct access to relevant government departments to ensure challenges are addressed fast," says Yu. "Issues such as issuance of work permits, incentives and tariffs need constant review."

Yu cites Ethiopia's success in establishing a department chaired by the prime minister, but says that with open borders, accessing intermediary materials from neighboring countries may solve his procurement problem.

The realization of a free trade zone is already facing head winds. Ten countries, including Nigeria, did not sign the AfCFTA agreement, asking for time to consult with local stakeholders. According to media reports, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is concerned that imports would undermine local manufacturers and entrepreneurs.

David Luke, the coordinator of the African Trade Policy Center at UNECA, says countries will be allowed to exclude a certain number of tariff lines from liberalization. However, he is apprehensive that, because trade among African countries tends to be highly concentrated in a small number of tariff lines, it is possible countries would exclude a large share that are important for raising revenues.

The phasing out of tariffs will be applied gradually over five years for developing countries and 10 years for the least-developed ones. For sensitive products, there is an even longer phase-out period of 10 years for developing countries and 13 for the least-developed.

Luke says an autonomous secretariat has been created to oversee the realization of the trade agreement. There also is a consensus that it will be financed by the African Union, he says. "Countries have proposed to host the secretariat, indicating serious commitment toward this plan. Ghana and Kenya are willing to house this office," Luke adds.

The second phase of negotiations, on such issues as investment, competition and intellectual property rights, is expected to begin later this year and be completed by January 2020.

"E-commerce is also considered as a possible additional topic," says Karingi, of UNECA.

For the realization of a free trade area, Africa needs to make bold decisions, says Songwe, the executive secretary of UNECA.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and African ministers of finance, planning and economic development at the 1st Session of the Commission Conference in Addis Ababa. Provided to China Daily

If there is any equine image in the East that can match the stature of its Western counterpart, it is probably that of the "heavenly horses" - horses that once traveled the ancient Silk Road connecting the Chinese empire with the vast land lying to its west.

And if the Trojan horse embodied military subterfuge, then the heavenly horses, tianma, represented raw speed and stamina. The latter have also spawned numerous works of art, ones that remind us not only of a powerful ruler's ambition, but also of the transcontinental trade route this ambition eventually gave birth to.

Han Dynasty painted wooden horse, unearthed in Gansu province. Photos Provided to China Daily

That ruler was Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), under whose reign China gained prosperity and might that was without precedent. Mindful of the constant harassment of his country by the steppe nomads, Wudi sought to solve the issue once and for all, by forming an invincible cavalry that could strike with the same lightning speed as had those fierce horsemen. (These nomads, known as Xiongnu, had once laid siege to his great-grandfather and founder of the Han Empire.)

To do that, he needed the warhorse, a breed native to the kingdom of Da Yuan, a Central Asian country in the Ferghana Valley. So around 139 BC, the emperor sent out a convoy headed by a man named Zhang Qian on a westward journey that eventually took them to Central Asia. Their two most important tasks: to seek a military alliance with other countries who were enemies of the Xiongnu, and to look for the reputed horses.

During an eventful journey that lasted 13 years, Zhang Qian was captured by the Xiongnu twice. When he arrived back in the Han capital in 126 BC, he was accompanied by just one man - and there were no horses.

However, according to Houhanshu (the Book of Later Han, penned by a Chinese historian during the fifth century and considered an authoritative record of the Han history between 25 and 220), about 10, or at least five or six, diplomatic groups were dispatched annually by the Han court to Central Asia during this period to buy horses.

"For the Han people, the horses had become a fetish and a cult, as evidenced by their newly assigned name, heavenly horses," says Rong Xinjiang, a professor of history at Peking University and an expert on the Silk Road.

"Compared with the indigenous Chinese breeds, these heavenly horses had longer and spikier ears that made them look more vigilant. They also had elongated bodies that appeared both athletic and elegant."

One image that best illustrates this kinetic elegance is a bronze horse unearthed in Gansu province, Northwest China, across which the ancient Silk Road wound. With mouth open, ears pricked and nostrils flared, the steed charges ahead at full tilt. Its wind-whipped mane conveys momentum, but what really captures its speed and renders this sculpture an iconic work of art is a sparrow that appears under one hind hoof of the horse. It is as if the galloping horse, in a fleeting moment as it overtakes the low-flying sparrow, is stamping on the bird's wings.

The horse, coated in green patina, turned up in the tomb of a Han general, with a whole legion comprising lance-holding horsemen and horse-drawn chariots. In most cases, the mane on the horses' forehead is portrayed as being tied high up and blown back by strong wind. Another distinct feature is the tail, raised to form one curve or two. It is as if a powerful life force has charged through the horse, head to hind, and reached its endpoint undiminished.

According to historical records, the Han government later set up breeding grounds in Gansu, hoping to localize the superior genes of the heavenly horses.

Perhaps the best proof of the horses' enduring popularity can be found in tombs of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), another golden period in Chinese history that was separated from the Han era by four centuries. There they abounded as polychrome glazed ceramic sculptures, mirroring the fact that in 725, during the reign of the Tang Emperor Xuanzong, the number of bred heavenly horses was put at about 430,000.

Another type of animal that often found itself standing side by side with the horses in the burial chamber of their masters was the camel, on whose back almost the entire history of the ancient Silk Road was sustained.

The animal, a veritable novelty when it first set its split hoof in Han China, was no doubt oblivious to the curiosity and confusion it aroused with the locals. Seeing a camel for the first time, many believed they were "horses with swollen backs", to quote a piece of contemporaneous writing.

However, it was not long before the animal was impressing all and sundry with its ability to endure hardship. The two species - the single-humped camels of West Asia and the double-humped ones of Central Asia - became the most preferred pack animals for all traders trekking back and forth along the ancient Silk Road.

One particularly vivid rendering can be found in a glazed ceramic camel unearthed in a suburb of Xi'an, capital in the Han and Tang dynasties. Craning its neck upward, the animal seems to be grunting loudly. Whether it is because of the heavy load and a crushing sense of tiredness or the glimpse of an oasis or something else will forever remain a mystery.

Ge Chengyong, a Silk Road research expert who acted as a consultant for a previous exhibition in Hong Kong, where the camel was on display, says that "a lot could be deciphered by simply looking into what is between a camel's double humps", pointing to another ceramic rendition of the animal from a slightly earlier time.

Straddling its back are a pair of sacks decorated with a drunk propped against another man and a woman.

"The drunk with a thick beard and potbelly is Dionysus, the greek wine god who could bring people a good harvest - think grape harvest in particular - and good fortune," Ge says. "Those on his left and right are two of his disciples. ... The images are telltale signs of a grape wine culture that originated in the Mediterranean and kept the Chinese intoxicated - literally and metaphorically - throughout the seventh and eighth centuries."

It was even blamed for preventing Tang from staying sober, when the powerful and prosperous empire, convulsed by sudden rebellion that erupted in 755, plunged headlong into a downward spiral from which it never quite recovered.

Other things that often weighed heavily on a camel's back included water flasks and, more important, bundles of silk that, sold in Constantinople, could fetch hundreds of times their cost price in China.

But that is not all, says Li Yongping of the Gansu Provincial Museum, who compares the trading caravans to an itinerant circus. The ancient Silk Road cut through Gansu during its westward extension.

"That circus was stuffed with a big variety of animals - monkeys and eagles, peacocks and ostriches, lions and leopards, and possibly elephants and rhinos," Li says.

After a journey that must have been extremely demanding, if not costly in lives, most of these rare animals ended up in the private gardens or enclosures of the aristocrats, to be looked at by a privileged few. Artistic renderings also appeared, often in the burial chambers of these men who had gone to great lengths to make sure that their afterlife would be lived in the fashion to which they had become accustomed.

One example involves a pair of splendidly realized gilt bronze leopards, their spotted bodies curled up and eyes set with rubies. The Han people liked to place themselves in a kneeling position, and the leopards, designed as mat weights, would keep the mat from moving as the sitter shuffled. They belonged to Liu Sheng (165-113 BC), a Han Dynasty vassal king who was the half brother of Emperor Wudi, the man who was behind the opening of the Silk Road.

The leopard can also be found on a gilt silver plate unearthed in Gansu and dated to sometime between the fourth and sixth centuries. On the animal's back sits Bacchus, the Roman equivalent of Dionysus, a fact that has led researchers to attribute the beautifully wrought plate to craftsmen from the Byzantine Empire.

"By connecting the dots, you get a line of not only the trade route, but also the two-way flow of culture," Li says.

Another animal that left its paw prints on the cultural history of ancient China was the lion. The ferocious beast, native to today's India and Iran, is believed to have first entered Han China through the Silk Road, and was soon adopted as a decorative motif. The inside center of a Tang Dynasty silver bowl unearthed in Xi'an was occupied by a pair of confronting lions, highlighted by gilding.

A 16-piece set of jade belt ornaments was found in the same place. A lion appeared on all but one piece, each of which features the animal in a uniquely different posture. Although jade traditionally came from Hetian (also known as Khotan) in what is now the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, by the Tang era it had long entered canonical Chinese culture.

Tang emperors routinely gave jade or jade-embedded gold belts to their high-level officials. The royal favor was bestowed not on a mere whim but according to strict protocol that dictated, among other things, the specific pattern that would appear on the belt plaques.

"The combination of a 'foreign' motif with a typical Chinese carving material, as well as its incorporation into the court culture, all signaled an assimilation process that lay at the heart of the Silk Road exchanges," Li says.

Unearthed in Xinjiang and dating back to Tang is a clay rendition of the lion dance, widely performed during the Chinese lunar new year then and now. The two pairs of legs protruding from the underbelly of the lion indicate that there were two performers.

Compared with Han, the Tang Dynasty had remarkably more true-to-life portrayals of lions by artists and artisans, who, presumably, had more opportunity to observe the animal firsthand. Concrete details bristle where free imagination used to reign.

But that does not mean there was little room for imagination; in fact, the reverse is true. A Tang Dynasty cup unearthed in Henan province had a peacock's resplendent tail wrapped around it to form a horn shape, the peacock itself being an exotic bird. The conical shape points unequivocally to a specific type of wine container known as a rhyton, which first appeared in the Aegean region during the Bronze Age, before being produced over wide areas of ancient Eurasia. This particular one, realized in Tang Dynasty tri-colored porcelain (yellow, green and white), is most likely the work of a Chinese craftsman.

Another imported animal worth noting is the elephant, not merely because of its bulk, but also because of its close association with Buddhism, which continued to exert its influence through the ancient Silk Road. Bricks painted with white elephants have been discovered in the city of Dunhuang, Gansu, whose fabled grottoes are home to gorgeous religious paintings and rare Buddhist scriptures.

More earthly versions could be found in a gilt bronze elephant and a rhinoceros, unearthed in the burial ground of a Han Dynasty vassal king in East China. Both animals were accompanied by their grooms, who must have traveled the same distance before arriving in China two millennia ago.

In life as well as in death, these real-life animals had competed with mythical ones to win the favor of artists, and thus the chance of eternal life. The latter group included the makara, a sea creature in Hindu mythology that has the body of a fish and the head of a dragon. Another was the kalavinka, a Buddhist creation with a bird's torso, a human head and the most exquisite voice. Very often their images grace a gilt silver plate or even gold hairpin for an aristocratic lady.

Culture and commerce, spiritual and mundane, the Silk Road animals are emblems for all.

On display at the previous Hong Kong exhibition were a polychrome painted horse and its tamer, both unearthed in the central Chinese city of Luoyang, a bustling commercial center and destination for endless streams of caravans during the Tang era.

Despite being lavishly harnessed, the horse shows no sign of obedience. This has resulted in tension and drama between the steed and the man, who, with legs wide apart, arms outstretched and veins on the wrists swelling up, tries desperately to rein in the muscular animal.

Ge says: "Undauntedness: Man or animal, that's what they need to measure the length of the Silk Road, with their own steps. And those who did so can never be contained."

Experts say strategies needed that are similar to the ones that led to China's meteoric rise

The Chinese business community is eager to invest in Kenya and expand its manufacturing base in line with the Kenyan government's ambitions, says Guo Ce, the economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese embassy in Nairobi.

Under Kenya's "Big Four" development agenda, a set of priorities spearheaded by President Uhuru Kenyatta, the East African country wants to scale up the share of its manufacturing sector from 5 percent to 15 percent of GDP and generate 1.3 million jobs targeting youths.

Guo says this would address the growing trade deficit. "Trade is really not sustainable, and that is why we want to increase our investments here. We want to grow together," says Guo, adding that the issue is being discussed by the two countries.

According to Robert Kagiri, a strategy and policy consultant and adjunct lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya should pursue strategies similar to those that resulted in China's meteoric economic rise. Among these are creating a conducive investment environment through incentives and building infrastructure.

"The move will push up foreign direct investments that will be accompanied by technology transfer. The success was huge, since it not only built China as the world's factory, but removed more than(700) million people out of poverty," says Kagiri.

He says the African Continental Free Trade Area will give impetus to Chinese investors to set up in the region and take advantage of the low wages as well as trade agreements with developed economies such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act signed with the US.

"The African Continental Free Trade Area also offers immense opportunities to Chinese manufactures producing locally. It will give them a leg up as the continent shapes up to strengthen intra-African trade," says Kagiri.

Anzetse Were, a development economist, says joint partnerships with Chinese manufacturers will build the country's technical and technological capacity. However, Kenya needs to make deliberate plans in building ecosystems that encourages manufacturing, Were says.

"We also need to undertake a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis and understand the needs of the Chinese market, then invest in these value chains to improve our products and access the Asian market," she says.

Were adds that China offers a perfect case study that Kenya and the continent at large can learn from. In addition, China's willingness to bring down trade barriers to its market should nudge Africa to develop value chains that can create linkages with Chinese manufacturers, she says.

Dylan Yu, the managing director of Yocean Group Ltd, says African governments need to build demand for locally manufactured goods. "Policies and regulations to boost local demand will support the industry. Businesses are marketoriented, and this is important."

He says it took time for his locally assembled transformers to penetrate the market in competition with foreign imports. The first three years saw his business, established in 2014, unable to break even, despite bidding for contracts with government-owned power utility companies.

In addition, strengthening of value and supply chains would encourage foreign investment, says Yu. "Local companies are yet to invest in these business chains. As a company, we are trying to create awareness on how small and medium-sized enterprises can be our suppliers and build a chain that can be cost and time effective. I am a firm believer that if you want to go fast, walk alone, but if you want to go further, you have to walk with others."

The African Continental Free Trade Area will further open the consumer market, and Chinese businesses operating in Africa are strategically positioned to be among the first beneficiaries due to their technological and skill capacity, says Yu. However, he adds, African governments need to make deliberate efforts to facilitate intra-Africa trade.

AfCFTA agreement will create a huge continental market and boost opportunities for China

The Africa Continental Free Trade Area seeks to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of businesses and investments. As a result, the AfCFTA is expected to create an African market of more than 1.2 billion people with a GDP of $2.5 trillion, thus forming a formidable counterpart to China's population of 1.4 billion and GDP of $11.2 trillion.

The expectation is that this will catalyze the acceleration of establishing the Continental Customs Union. Of equal significance is the UN Economic Commission for Africa's estimate that the AfCFTA has the potential to boost intra-African trade by 53.2 percent by eliminating import duties.

The other eight substantive regional economic communities viewed as building blocks of the African Union include the Arab Maghreb Union; the Community of Sahel-Saharan States; the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa; the East African Community; the Economic Community of Central African States; the Economic Community of West African States; the Intergovernmental Authority on Development; and the Southern African Development Community.

Yet another initiative that will doubtlessly grab China's attention is the initiative being proposed by new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to foster closer Eastern Africa cooperation on regional integration, peace and security, with a specific focus on reaching a multilateral agreement between Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and Sudan.

These developments have turned out to be a boon for China, since it now has to negotiate only with multicountry organized trading blocs with substantial population numbers, rather than with each of the more than 50 individual AU members. The Chinese will also be in a better position to further use cross-border African duty-free export processing zones to manufacture garments and other apparel for export to the United States through the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The AGOA is US trade legislation, extended to 2025 by the administration of former US president Barack Obama, that seeks to enhance market access to the US for 39 sub-Saharan African countries that meet a set of conditions, including improving rule of law, human rights and respect for core labor standards.

The arrangement is a win for both China and Africa. While it is true that most of the AGOA-centered garment manufacturing companies are not African-owned and probably repatriate most of their profits to their countries, nations like China, by investing in Africa, play a crucial role in increasing local employment. For instance, in Kenya, export processing zone companies employed 50,253 locals as of 2015, according to the Economic Survey 2016. On average, each EPZ company employs around 1,500 people.

However, internal challenges in the drive to create African regional economic communities may frustrate China's plans. For instance, the two largest African economies, Nigeria and South Africa, have not participated in the AfCFTA accord.

Another problem is that, on average, each African country belongs to at least two trading blocs, a phenomenon that has created confusion and challenges in implementing regional objectives. One example is Tanzania's membership in both the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community. When implementing external tariffs for the EAC, Tanzania can trade within the SADC, where it enjoys free trade status, leading to trade diversion from EAC countries. However, Kenya rejected a proposed China-EAC free trade agreement, arguing that its nascent manufacturing sector needed to be shielded from being overrun by China's cheaper and more efficient producers.

As China moves the Belt and Road Initiative to African countries, Africa also stands to gain much by aligning itself with the Belt and Road, through which China plans to invest trillions of dollars for a new Silk Road linking it to Europe and Africa. The initiative involves massive infrastructure investments across Europe and the upgrading of maritime routes connecting China with Asia and Africa. All of these developments are not only good for China, but also dovetail well with the African Union's ambition for greater connectivity to spur more intra-Africa trade and attract international investment in a free-trading Africa.

The author is a consultant for strategy and policy and a lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies of the University of Nairobi, Kenya. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

The government and private sector ought to become more proactive in meeting market demand in China

Two weeks ago, Kenya stopped short of signing a free trade agreement that China has been negotiating with the East African Community since 2016. The core motivation for the rejection seems to be seated in the intent to protect Kenya's nascent manufacturing sector from being dominated by China's massive and efficient manufacturing sector.

This development highlights the concerns Kenya has with the balance of trade between the two countries. According to the newspaper The East African, China accounts for less than 2 percent of Kenya's exports, yet 25 percent of the country's import bill is from China. Last year, Kenya exported goods worth $99.76 million to China but imported goods worth $3.37 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $3.2 billion. Between January and May 2017 alone, Kenya imported goods each month worth an average of $348.9 million from China.

However, it ought to be considered that the trade deficit between Kenya and China exists not necessarily because China is pursuing it deliberately, but because China is better at producing what Kenya wants than Kenya is at producing what China wants. The trade deficit is arguably the result of market supply and demand dynamics. Top products imported from China, accounting for more than 50 percent, include machinery, railway stock, iron and steel, vehicles and plastics. The truth is that Kenya doesn't, for the most part, manufacture these and thus imports them from China.

Sadly with China, Kenya is sticking to the usual yet unwise path of exporting raw materials and importing manufactured goods - a reality that reflects the weakness of manufacturing capacity in Kenya and Africa as a whole. And sadly, even in the export of raw produce such as fish, where there is growing demand in China, Kenya is not exploiting the opportunity. Kenya fish output dropped by 10.2 percent in 2016, compromising the country's ability to exploit the demand in China.

The trade dynamics between Kenya and China accentuate the importance for Kenya to shift current behavior to one that strengthens the country's position. The first step is to enforce local content laws to limit the importation of goods in public projects and, rather, procure goods manufactured locally. The good news is that there seems to be indication that for the next phase of the development of the standard gauge railway, local purchases will not be lower than 40 percent of total procurement. These types of provisions are important because they provide a market for Kenyan manufactured goods, thereby boosting manufacturing activity. But they also highlight the extent to which local manufacturers can (or cannot) meet large orders consistently, which provides valuable lessons on what the country needs to do to improve industrial capacity.

Second, Kenya needs to take advantage of the off-shoring of manufacturing capacity from China to other parts of the world. Partly informed by rising wages, China has been increasingly automating and off-shoring manufacturing, and Africa is benefiting from the latter to a certain extent. A report by McKinsey last year indicated that 31 percent of Chinese companies in Africa are in manufacturing, and they already handle about 12 percent of industrial production in Africa, with annual revenues of about$60 billion; revenues in manufacturing outstrip those of any other sectors listed. If Chinese private sector companies are domesticating manufacturing capacity from China, then indigenous Kenyan companies can do the same. The constraints preventing this ought to be analyzed and addressed

Third, Kenya needs to develop a trade strategy for China. The government needs to audit products with growing Chinese demand and seek to build Kenyan capacity to better exploit market opportunities presented by China. Kenyan producers ought to better leverage opportunities such as the China International Import Expo, to be held in Shanghai in November, and work with the Chinese embassy to exploit opportunities and tap into supplying the domestic market in China, thereby increasing the country's exports to China.

Finally, Kenya should focus on revenue streams coming from China and strengthen these. Tourism is a massive opportunity for Kenya; hotel bed-nights of Chinese tourists to Kenya increased by 45.8 percent last year compared with 2016. The government and private sector should try to better understand the needs of Chinese tourists and more aggressively market Kenya as a tourist destination in China.

In short, given Kenya's concerns about the growing trade deficit with China, the government and private sector ought to become more proactive in meeting market demand in China. The concern should provide impetus for the country to do the hard work of building manufacturing capacity as well as better understanding the Chinese market and leveraging diplomatic and private sector ties to achieve clearly defined trade strategies and goals.

The author is a development economist. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

China's new ambassador to Monrovia reaffirms ties and says road connectivity will be crucial

China, with its principles of globalization and commitment to a shared future for mankind, is eager to help Liberia prosper under the country's new government, says Ambassador Fu Jijian.

Ambassador Fu is the new top Chinese diplomat to Monrovia. He took over the mission in March following the ascendency of former soccer star George Weah as president of the West African nation after a closely contested election last year.

While he's adapting to life in Liberia, the Chinese ambassador is knowledgeable of the country's economic vibrancy back in the 1970s, and he's also aware of existing challenges the new government faces amid economic constraints.

However, he reaffirms Beijing's consistent diplomatic ties with Monrovia as the two countries enter a new era, adding that the world's most populous nation will share its development experience with Liberia.

"Liberia will continue to be one of our (China's) partners. Even now, you are facing some challenges and we will try our best to give some help just as we have done in the past," Fu said during an interview in Monrovia.

He said China will help Weah's administration achieve its "pro-poor agenda", promising support for the country's infrastructure, healthcare, human resources, education and agriculture sectors, but he emphasized road connectivity, which has been set as the top priority of the new Liberian government.

"We have a saying in China: 'If you want to be rich, build the road', because the road can provide access for people to take their produce to the market, and people along the road can start their business and get out of poverty," he said.

Already, the Chinese government through its China Aid program is constructing a $50 million ministerial complex and annexes at the offices of the Legislature in Monrovia.

Since taking over the mission, Fu has signed four pacts with the Liberian government.

They include the construction of a clinical laboratory at the country's main hospital, maintenance of the sports stadium for sports development, support to the state broadcaster, and a donation of 2,500 metric tons of rice to help reduce the price of the country's staple food.

"We will try our best to help in the road connection, but we still need consultation from Beijing and will send a technical team from China to study the projects as requested by the Liberian government," he says.

Whether through bilateral agreements or foreign direct investments, China has enormous capacity to help Liberia improve its value addition chain to ensure the export of finished products instead of raw materials, as is the case currently.

Fu says Chinese companies now in the country are committed to the industrialization of Liberia and creation of more jobs for local people.

He said two Chinese companies are preparing to set up factories. One will be a fish processing plant, and the other will process rubber trees to make furniture.

"There are more Chinese companies that are interested in coming to Liberia, now that you (Liberia) have peace and a stable political environment based on President Weah's inaugural speech, which welcomed foreign investors to the country."

Meanwhile, he encouraged the Liberian government to explore opportunities provided by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

In September, the FOCAC summit in Beijing will set the platform to deepen cooperation among African countries and China. Liberia will have the chance to be part of the high-level discussions on political consultation, infrastructure cooperation - including roads and railways - and trade and commerce.

"I hope the Liberian government can propose projects that will help the country produce revenue and provide employment for the people and use your raw materials - add value to them - instead of just exporting raw materials, which have low value," Fu says.

"I strongly believe that Liberians, through their hard work and their good policies to encourage development, will use their resources to develop the country and recover their glory and become one of the developed countries in West Africa."

For China Daily

Elizabeth Nkuku, the chief investment officer at Cytonn Investments, a private equity investments company based in Kenya, says there is a growing preference for Chinese companies, since they have the capacity to deliver huge and complex projects.

"We have confidence in their work and have no qualms about quality," she said, adding that the companies provide competitively priced work and comply with the regulations of local government.

She spoke during a groundbreaking ceremony to mark a project for which her company has contracted with China Jiangsu International to develop the first phase of a $150 million master-planned mixed-use development.

The project includes homes, a commercial building, a four-star hotel and a school on a 40-hectare parcel of land. The company is expected to build around 120 three-to-four bedroom town houses worth at least $15 million.

This is the third project for which the investment company has contracted with a Chinese company. According to Nkuku, awarding these projects to the foreign companies has buoyed investors' confidence in the delivery of quality within allocated budgets. Already, 40 percent of the first phase has been sold out.

The trend is slowly edging out nonperforming players, known as "cowboy contractors", that had crippled the sector with substandard building that eventually collapsed, leading to substantial loss of property and lives. According to data, the country has lost more than $14 million as a result of collapsed buildings in the past 15 years.

The project is expected to be completed in two years. However, Chen Chong, the general manager of China Jiangsu, says the company is confident it can finish the project six months early. "We have deep knowledge of the sector, and with our capacity, we know we can deliver well before time," he says. The project is expected to create at least 2,200 jobs.

However, the weather is a concern, according to Chen. Heavy rains have been pounding the country, with some locations reporting flooding.

In addition, a lack of skilled labor is a challenge. Most of the residents in the area, at least 50 kilometers from the capital of Nairobi, are farmers. "We will therefore need workers from other sites to boost capacity," says Chen.

Infrastructure leading to the site is also underdeveloped. However, the governor of the area, Ferdinand Waititu, has promised to build a road to improve accessibility. He says the local county government has set aside $20 million annually for the next five years for infrastructure development. A police post will also be built to increase security.

The county government of Kiambu is also planning to develop low-cost housing for Kenyans, says Waititu, adding that he hopes to see entry of Chinese contractors in this subsector, since they have the needed capacity and technology.

luciemorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

Government officials in Kenya have showered praise on Liu Xianfa, the outgoing Chinese ambassador to the country, praising him for playing a crucial role in deepening the relationship between the two nations.

Speaking at the ambassador's farewell reception, held on April 23 at the Chinese embassy in Nairobi, James Macharia, Cabinet secretary at Kenya's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, said Liu had taken the relationship between the two countries to a historic high.

Liu Xianfa (center), the outgoing Chinese ambassador to Kenya, at his farewell reception at the Chinese embassy in Nairobi on April 23. Liu Hongjie / China Daily

He said several key China-Kenya developments and special events had taken place during the ambassador's tenure.

"After waiting for 122 years, last year we launched the standard gauge railway from Mombasa to Nairobi, thanks to collaboration between China and Kenya," he said. China had also made sure that other programs were operational, helping Kenya to construct Lamu Port, which will be the genesis of the Lamu Port-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport corridor. This will connect Kenya with Ethiopia and South Sudan.

"That brings into context the Belt and the Road Initiative, because through the projects Kenya will open up the East African region," Macharia said.

In 2014, President Uhuru Kenyatta promised to build 10,000 kilometers of roads with the help of Chinese companies. Four years later, Macharia confirmed that 8,000 km had been completed.

"On the new frontier of the 'Big Four' agenda (aiming to deliver manufacturing, universal healthcare, affordable housing and food security to Kenya), you are aware that one of the plans is housing, and Chinese companies, together with the Chinese government, have come forward to help us, not just in expressing an interest in constructing houses, but also through setting up a construction materials company in Athi River," Macharia said.

Additionally, the Chinese are engaged in dam construction to help the government solve the food insecurity challenge.

Macharia said Liu's lasting legacy will continue to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. It will also ensure that Kenya continues on its current path of development, as well as ensuring it realizes peace and stability through opening-up.

At a previous event, Amina Mohammed, Cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Education, said Liu had done a great job in deepening the relationship between China and Kenya.

"We are grateful that you have driven the relationship between Kenya and China to an historical level. Thanks for your commitment and the determination. It has been amazing and a good challenge," she said.

Similar sentiments were shared by Betty Maina, principal secretary for the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, who said Liu's contribution to the growth of the China-Kenya partnership was commendable.

"We are grateful for your valuable contribution to strengthening the China-Kenya relationship. It's our wish that, wherever you will go, you will continue to be our ambassador for the China-Kenya relationship," she said.

Liu said he was proud to witness cooperation between the two countries yielding fruitful results. "For the third year in a row, China has been Kenya's largest trading partner, investor and contractor. The bilateral trade volume in 2017 reached $5.2 billion, 59 percent more than that of 2013. Currently there are about 400 Chinese enterprises in Kenya, creating nearly 130,000 job opportunities," he said.

Liu said he was proud to witness political trust between the nations being strengthened further through frequent high-level contacts. Since 2013, President Xi Jinping has met with President Kenyatta three times. Premier Li Keqiang and former chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhang Dejiang also visited Kenya.

Last year, Kenyatta visited China for the Belt and Road Forum, where he met with Xi, and both agreed to upgrade China-Kenya relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

"Overall, the past four years in Kenya have given me so many beautiful and unforgettable memories," said Liu. "I cherish the power of Harambee (a Kenyan tradition of community self-help events, such as fundraising or development activities), I love the taste of ugali (a dish made of maize, millet or sorghum flour), I value the sincerity of rafiki (a friend) and, most important, I am proud of the leapfrog development of China-Kenya relations."

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

Chinese companies will find cheaper labor and increased profits in the country, says politician

As Chinese entrepreneurs continue to relocate labor-intensive manufacturing to developing economies, the Kenyan government is calling on more enterprises from the Asian giant to consider investing in the country.

Raphael Tuju, a Cabinet secretary without portfolio and secretary general of the ruling Jubilee Party, says Kenya is committed to propelling industrial growth, one of the key pillars of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four development agenda of housing, security, affordable healthcare and manufacturing.

The Kenyan government seeks to raise the share of manufacturing in the nation's GDP from 9 to 15 percent by 2022, as well as expanding food production and supply, providing universal healthcare and building 500,000 affordable houses. The government plans to create 1.3 million manufacturing jobs by 2022.

For the leather industry, Kenyatta has set a target of 20 million shoes to be produced in the country by 2022. The government aims to develop cotton production and support the creation of 1,000 small and medium enterprises in agro-processing, as well as create 200,000 jobs in the sector by 2022. Other plans include the creation of export processing zones in a bid to increase annual exports by 20 percent.

These aims present manufacturing opportunities that Chinese investors can take advantage of, riding on the deepening relationship between the two countries, the government says.

Cabinet Secretary Tuju says the key to Kenya's engagement with China is setting up industries, noting that Kenya takes pride in its large population of educated young people, which assures investors of adequate labor at a lower cost compared to China.

"By setting up factories in the country, Chinese investors will be able to access raw materials locally, hence reducing importation costs. They will also enjoy higher profits because the labor cost here is cheaper compared with China, and they will also be closer to the market," he says.

Tuju says the recently signed African Continental Free Trade Agreement is another advantage, because investors will be able to export their products within the regional and pan-African markets.

"Whether we like it or not, China is a major player in the global economic arena," he says. "We therefore have to align ourselves in order to attract Chinese investors, as well as establish a long-term relationship of doing business with China. The prosperity of Kenya will be linked with the prosperity of China, so we need to focus on win-win solutions."

He reiterates Kenya's commitment to creating a stable policy and regulatory environment in order to attract Chinese investment to the manufacturing sector. He says the government is working on addressing uncertainties about land leases.

Tuju recently toured Twyford Ceramics Co Ltd, a Chinese company that makes ceramic tiles, located in Kenya's Kajiado county, 65 kilometers south of the capital, Nairobi. He expressed the government's appreciation to the company for choosing Kenya as its investment destination.

Li Ruiqin, the company's managing director, says Twyford currently produces more than 60,000 cubic meters of tiles every day and has provided employment for 1,200 people. To meet growing demand across East and Central Africa, the company recently launched a second production line.

One reason that the company chose to invest in Kenya, Li says, is because Kenyans are well educated and have a better grasp of English compared with people in neighboring countries.

"It takes two months to train people on the assembly line in some of the neighboring countries, but only one week to train young Kenyan people," he says.

Established in 2016, the company has the largest ceramics factory in East Africa and has 70 percent of the market share in Kenya.

Wang Xuezheng, counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Kenya, who also toured the factory, says China is committed to playing a crucial role in Kenya's industrialization.

He says his government is encouraging more Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in Kenya's industrial sector, in line with the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The Chinese government is pleased to see companies like Twyford ceramics invest in Kenya and help local people through job creation," he says.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

The Chinese company extending Kenya's standard gauge railway from Nairobi to Naivasha has assured Kenyans that the section of the project passing through Nairobi National Park will not have an adverse effect on wildlife or other natural resources.

Steve Zhao, China Communications Construction Co's spokesman, says his company will adhere to recommendations set by Kenya Wildlife Services to cause minimal disruption to the plants and animals in the national park.

Zhao says CCCC will continue wildlife protection practices implemented during the first phase of the railway, which have proved effective.

Steve Zhao, spokesman for China Communications Construction Co, at the site in Nairobi National Park of the standard gauge railway's "super bridge" on April 12. Behind him, workers rehabilitate affected areas. Liu Hongjie / China Daily

"For the 'super bridge' construction, the use of electric fence enclosures to isolate pillar sites will be divided into two stages, to ensure that animals in the park can move freely during the construction period and that their migration is not affected," he says.

After erection of the bridge pillars, Zhao says the section of line over the national park will be fitted with a noise barrier, whose specifications will be approved by the KWS, to ensure that noise does not increase significantly above baseline levels.

The lowest bridge pillar will be seven meters high, and the railway line will be camouflaged for the sake of wildlife in the park.

CCCC will also carry out appropriate vegetation restoration to rehabilitate areas affected by construction work. A soil reinstatement plan will be implemented torestore trampled areas such as access roads, replace removed topsoil and carry out planting and improvement of soil.

"We have also worked with the KWS to screen the construction equipment to avoid the spread of invasive species, such as Nicotiana glauca (wild tobacco) seeds, which can be carried by road construction machinery," Zhao says.

Construction of the "super bridge" will be carried out in two phases and will involve installing around 200 pillars. Work on the pillars and T-beams is expected to be completed by October, while the entire Nairobi-Naivasha line is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

Last year, the National Environment Tribunal temporarily halted construction of the railway across the national park pending a decision over a petition filed by environmental groups. They had asked the government to conduct an environmental impact study of the project.

On March 1, the Kenya Coalition for Wildlife Conservation and Management staged a peaceful demonstration on the streets of Nairobi, protesting the construction of the railway within the national park. They demanded that the project be rerouted.

The protest was condemned by both James Macharia, the transportation minister, and Atanas Maina, the managing director of Kenya Railways.

According to Maina, measures have been put in place to ensure minimal disruption to wildlife. The most disruptive phase, he says, will last 14 months, which is the main construction period.

Before construction of the 6-kilometer "super bridge" started, Zhao says, CCCC received approval from the KWS and an environmental impact assessment license from the National Environment Management Authority.

Phase 2 of the railway project was officially launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta in October 2016, after which construction of the Ngong Tunnel began immediately.

"At the moment, we have completed 2.5 kilometers of the 4.5 km tunnel. We are on course with the work schedules and carefully observing targets and deadlines to ensure that the project is completed in record time," Zhao says.

He also says the National Land Commission is completing outstanding land compensation cases.

He says CCCC has been experiencing pressure from local people and their leaders regarding job opportunities for communities along the route.

"The employment of locals is dictated by the workload and the skills deficit we have in the various work stations. We are always trying to provide more job opportunities along the route," he says.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

China's outgoing ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohong, has received the country's highest honor, becoming a member of the Order of the Star of Ghana, Honorary Division.

The award was conferred on her by Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

During a ceremony on April 11 at Ghana's seat of government, Jubilee House, in the capital of Accra, Akufo-Addo said the ambassador had worked to ensure tremendous achievements between the two countries during her tenure.

Sun took up her role in Ghana as the 14th Chinese ambassador on March 27, 2014.

Part of a citation accompanying the award, which was read by Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, said, "In recognition of your outstanding contribution to the socioeconomic development of Ghana, your calm disposition as a distinguished diplomat, which has helped enhance mutual understanding and cooperation between the people of Ghana and China, the Republic of Ghana confers on you, Sun Baohong, the state honor of the Republic of Ghana, Member of the Order of the Star of Ghana, Honorary Division."

Akufo-Addo said, "This is an ambassador who went the extra mile for us in Ghana. I think it is appropriate that we in Ghana should show our appreciation for this ambassador."

He said Ghana and China will continue to enjoy a strong relationship that respects differences in the political systems of the two countries, but recognizes that it is possible for sovereign, independent states to reach out across their differences and promote friendship and understanding between their peoples.

Sun said she hoped China-Ghana cooperation would experience a boom with a number of major projects that are set to begin, including the expansion of Tema Port, oil exploration in the Volta Basin, the Jamestown Fishing Port Complex, the second phase of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, a cocoa processing factory and the comprehensive development of the bauxite industry.

She said China supports Ghana's initiatives of "One District, One Factory", "One Village, One Dam" and "Planting for Food and Jobs" and welcomes the country's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.

At a reception held in her honor, Sun said China-Ghana cooperation would not only benefit the two countries and their people but would also make an important contribution to the peace and development of Africa.

Expressing confidence that China-Ghana relations have bright prospects, she encouraged more Chinese enterprises to invest in Ghana's energy sector, resource development, agriculture and infrastructure, as well as construction, to create more job opportunities for young Ghanaians.

The ambassador said that, over the past four years, China had been the largest trading partner and main source of investment for Ghana. The volume of bilateral trade rose from$5.6 billion in 2014 to $6.68 billion in 2017, with Ghana's exports to China reaching a historic high of $1.85 billion.

China's registered investment projects in Ghana had risen from 691 in 2014 to 790 by the end of 2017, covering manufacturing, mining, energy, agriculture and the service industry, she said.

For China Daily

ICT and media seminars for Gambians reflect cooperation between nations, ambassador says

Fifty aspiring academics who will travel to China for information and communication technology training and media-related studies were honored on April 14 at a reception at the Chinese embassy in Gambia.

The visits by the 50, who will go in two groups to attend bilateral seminars, follow the recent visit to China by Gambian President Adama Barrow. The seminars are among opportunities presented by China-Gambia bilateral cooperation.

The aim of the seminars, which are among other initiatives set for this year in education and human resources, is to strengthen cooperation as well as to support Gambia's development process. They are also in line with Gambia's National Development Plan (2018-21).

The training emphasizes the significance that the Gambian government attaches to capacity building for its citizens and reflects the invaluable support provided to Gambia by the Chinese government, said Zhang Jiming, China's ambassador to Gambia. The program, which is expected to scale up this year, represents a huge step "in terms of the scale and type of cooperation in education and human resources development," Zhang said at the event.

In addition to the bilateral seminars, China has offered more than 40 fully funded government scholarships, for which the selection and nomination of candidates is being undertaken by the Gambian side. What's more, over 200 shortterm opportunities in the form of seminars and workshops are being offered to Gambian government ministries as well as institutes, hospitals and NGOs, Zhang said.

The ambassador added that 2018 is a "big year" for China-Africa relations, with the annual summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation set for Beijing later this year. He added that Gambia can benefit from the FOCAC mechanism as well as China-Gambia cooperation.

Zhang reminded the groups setting off for China for training about the success story of China, which he said was earned through hard work and forging ahead against hardships.

Ndey Tapha Sosseh, special adviser of the Gambian Ministry of Communication and Information, praised the training initiative and said there is no place better than China to learn about innovation and cybersecurity.

Fatou Njie Hydara, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, spoke of the strengthened bilateral cooperation between Gambia and China and urged those who will undertake the training to capitalize on their time in China to study as well as to discover the country's culture, and then to share their experiences with other Gambians.

Speaking on behalf of his fellow seminar participants, Lamin Ceesay expressed gratitude to theChinese government for the educational opportunity.

For China Daily

The achievements of the Communist Party of China over the past four decades - especially in the fight against poverty - offer valuable lessons to Kenya, says Raphael Tuju, a high-ranking government official in the African nation.

"The CPC is behind the dramatic rise of the country to the second-largest economy in the world, while lifting millions of people out of poverty, a feat no other country has achieved in history," says Tuju.

He says these achievements are now having an impact on the Sino-Kenyan relationship, which in diplomatic terms goes back 55 years. "Kenyans are now exposed to the latest infrastructure technology, with the development of the $3.8 billion standard gauge railway. We can see tangible benefits from this engagement, and we are happy that it was elevated to a comprehensive strategic relationship, which means closer and more exchanges between the two countries."

Raphael Tuju, secretary-general of Kenya's ruling Jubilee Party, says Kenya is eager to replicate achievements of the Communist Party of China, including its success in poverty alleviation. Lucie Morangi / China Daily

Tuju, whose mandate is to advise the Kenyan Cabinet, says he believes engagement with China will be one of Kenya's national priorities. After assuming office for his second term last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled what he described as his "Big Four" agenda, listing four key pillars - manufacturing, universal healthcare, affordable housing and food security.

"These are the most important projects," says Tuju. "We want to strengthen food security in the country, and China has addressed this issue through immense investment in research and development. They have new rice varieties that have been proven to have high productivity and will increase output per acre," he says.

Tuju says he would also like the engagement to give room to private partnerships, especially in themodernization of agriculture.

"China and Kenya engage at government level," he says. "We would like this to trickle down to the private sector, where we believe we will see accelerated growth and transfer between citizens."

Another sector that Kenya is interested in is industrialization. "Plans are underway for the relocation of some light industries from China, and we would like them to settle here in Kenya and make us the regional hub," says Tuju.

Kenya's housing sector is currently booming, thanks to affordable building materials from a Chinese company, China Wu Yi. Tuju says the technology used by the company has not only cut the cost of building but also reduced the time taken to complete houses. "They are also offering jobs to our young people," he says

Platforms such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative have boosted engagement between the Asian giant and Africa.

On the 55 years of diplomatic relations between China and Kenya, the former foreign affairs minister says that under President Xi Jinping's administration, the relationship has grown stronger.

"When I was the foreign minister, we started engaging with China actively," says Tuju. "The dividends are now visible, and we are seeing an increase in the amount of construction."

The Chinese "have an edge, of course, in economy of scale and strong financial institutions such as Bank of China and the Export-Import Bank of China. It makes it easy to do business with them compared with other traditional partners," Tuju says.

luciemorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

Sunda International representatives with children from First Love Kenya, a children's home in Nairobi, Kenya. Liu Hongjie / China Daily

Learning is the best way of equipping children for the future, says Sunda Managing Director Tony Wu

At least 30 orphaned children have had their education costs for next year fully paid by Sunda International, a Chinese company, after its representative presented a check of $10,000 to First Love Kenya, a children's home in Nairobi.

In addition to urging the young Kenyans to excel in their studies, Sunda Managing Director Tony Wu said investing in education will play a huge role in lifting families above the poverty line.

Wu said the aim of investing in Kenya is to elevate the living standards of the locals.

"It is the third time we are visiting this institution. After critically discussing the needs of these children, the chairman believed that supporting their education is the best way of transforming their lives. Accessing good education equips them for the future," said Wu.

He said the move has planted seeds of hope for the children and will give them the necessary impetus to achieve their ambitions. "It is therefore left to you to be committed in changing your future," said Wu.

He said Sunda plans to further invest in Kenya and will continue to strongly participate in corporate social responsibility projects that aim to transform lives. In addition, Sunda has promised to offer career opportunities to First Love children who excel in their education.

Receiving the funds on behalf of the children, home director Christopher Koki Okuna said the funds would go a long way in ensuring that the students stay in school for another year.

"We have about 25 in secondary schools and an additional five pursuing technical courses in colleges. The money will take care of their tuition and books," said Okuna, who said First Love is home to 156 children. His annual costs run up to $320,000.

He also said Sunda has consistently supported the institution in its expansion bid by offering building materials. "But this is a serious commitment toward the basic needs of these children. The firm is not only boosting our efforts to educate them, but their presence here is a loving effort to make the children feel part of the wider society."

Maxwell Ochieng, an 18-year old resident of the home, says the move will reassure those still in secondary school. "It is comforting to know that international companies such as Sunda are supporting our education dreams. I am sure that those who will benefit will give back to the community."

Ochieng, who just completed his secondary education and is awaiting placement in a university, says he wants to be an electrical engineer and work for Kenya's standard gauge railway, a Chinese-backed project. "Youths in Kenya are awakening to the opportunities offered by Chinese companies. Besides offering employment opportunities, the Chinese companies are transferring management skills and making us competitive globally," he says.

China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd, or CHEC, hired Sando, 24, in February last year as an unskilled laborer. Since then, he has received on-the-job training from Chinese engineers.

"After this project I will be able to work on my own because of the skills I am acquiring, and this will help me take care of my family," says the father of two.

CHEC was contracted by the Liberian government to build and expand the West African nation's main international airport, located around 55 kilometers outside Monrovia. The project, which includes a new terminal, was funded by a $50 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of China.

"We have experienced technicians, we provide high-quality technology and show the Liberian workers how to use advanced equipment. We also bring our management experience to the working group to help it to adopt high standards," says David Chen, CHEC's Liberia branch manager.

CHEC is a subsidiary of China Communication Construction Co Ltd, listed on the 2016 Fortune 500 list and one of the 250 largest international contractors. It has its intererests in more than 80 countries and has carried hundreds of projects worth more than$16 billion.

In Liberia, the Chinese company has hired over 200 local workers for the airport project, among them unskilled laborers who have acquired technical skills since the project started in November 2016.

"When you work along with the Chinese, they teach you a lot of new things, and I think after this project I will have learned a lot," Sando says.

Nhene Giahbloh, who has worked for CHEC as a safety officer for over five years in Liberia and has received international training, is confident that the company's work philosophy will motivate many local people to focus on learning technical skills before the project ends.

"China Harbour has trained some local people who had no skills and now they are masons, welders, steel benders and electricians," Giahbloh says.

"The Chinese opened up to these workers so that they can go home with skills at the end of the project, and the communities around the project are benefiting immensely."

Sheriff Brown, 34, was one of over 50 people hired 10 months ago from a community near the project. He is now learning masonry.

The former security guard says working with Chinese engineers is helping him learn how to focus on the job.

"The Chinese engineers have a positive work attitude," he says confidently, adding: "They are teaching me how to come to work early and remain focused on the job for the day. This is a very positive work attitude I am learning."

Liberia has a huge number of young people, who make up 70 percent of the entire population.

Experts say a lack of skilled manpower often impedes the country's human resources capacity.

"Sometimes we're looking for skilled people but, because the people here like to learn things, we give them the chance to learn from the experienced Chinese engineers," says Lin Mingzhen. The 30-year old engineer from Guangdong province, who moved to Liberia in October 2016 to work on the airport project, says Liberian workers are showing a lot of "learning spirit".

"I think it is very good, not only for the project but for building the capacity of the local people, and it is a kind of win-win relationship. It not only benefits the project but also the workers for the future."

Lin says the Liberian and Chinese workers continue to solidify their trust because of the common interest they share for the project and their respective countries.

"I think the longer we work together, the better we know each other," he says.

"For example, if we know exactly what a Liberian worker can do, we help the person to become more efficient for the work to progress."

The positive work attitude is paying off for the Liberian and Chinese workers alike, as the project is expected to finish ahead of schedule.

According to the contract, the terminal project should be finished by January 2019, but it might be completed by November this year, thanks to the cooperation between the Chinese and Liberian workers, says the company's country manager. "When Chinese and Liberians work together they work very hard, and this has pushed the work far ahead," Chen says.

"We continued to work during the rainy season because the project adopts very high technology. As we work together, it will help us complete the project ahead of schedule."

It is this "team spirit", according to the engineers, that is inspiring the progress of the project, which is expected to boost Liberia's aviation and tourism sectors, since many international airlines will be able to fly to Liberia.

Lin says completing the project to a high quality standard is important, but ensuring that the local workers are treated fairly also encapsulates the philosophy of team spirit.

"For me, it's the win-win relationship that is keeping this project going smoothly," he says. "From our project perspective, we want to see local employees paid fairly and get some training at the same time."

For China Daily

In a bid to intensify political cooperation and mutual understanding, Wang Xiaohui, the executive vice-minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited Kenya and met with the country's president and high-ranking party officials.

The visit, from Jan 24 to 26, saw him lead a delegation from the CPC to the State House in Nairobi, where he reached an agreement with President Uhuru Kenyatta on exchanges between the CPC and its counterpart, Kenya's ruling Jubilee Party.

Wang announced that China will provide 20 scholarships so that Jubilee Party officials can receive training on democracy and party management.

According to a statement by the president's media team, the vice-minister said the two parties agreed to deepen collaboration in order to strengthen the two countries' relations.

Wang, who is also deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, later held a discussion with senior and junior Jubilee Party officials on party management and ideals. He briefed the group on the successful conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the CPC, during which Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was established as a historic position, and a road map was set for achieving China's centenary goals.

He said these new plans are the guide for building a moderately prosperous society in China. "It has inspired the youth to be Party members because they understand that expectations are high that they will implement (reforms)," he said.

The Party has also intensified its fight against corruption and extravagance, with 440 officials investigated, said Wang. "This has buoyed the people's confidence in the Party and renewed rejuvenation in implementing its goals of removing more people from poverty," he said.

Wang said there are many skills that other countries can learn from China, in particular grassroots mobilization, democracy and party management.

In addition, Wang said representatives of around 300 political parties visited China last year, and all of them were curious about how China has a strong party and a distinct and consolided system of democracy. He said democracy has different definitions and added that the country has seen the unity of different ethnic groups.

"When the CPC develops, it contributes to the world," said Wang, citing the increased establishment of enterprises in the country, the successful implementation of poverty alleviation programs, the positive response to the Paris climate agreement, the launch and promotion of the Belt and Road initiative.

He advised the Jubilee Party to instill discipline within its ranks to boost stability. "A stable ruling party develops a stable country. Development and stability should be the overarching goals of any ruling party."

Raphael Tuju, Jubilee's national secretary-general, said the level of cooperation between China and Kenya was taken a notch higher by the visit. He added that there is a lot to learn from the CPC. "This is a challenge to us, and Jubilee wants to be strong and develop a stable, successful country too."

He said the CPC was eager to establish an academy in Kenya to further the capacity building of party management and administration.

Also present was Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa, who praised ongoing collaborations between the two countries, especially in infrastructure development. He noted China's grant of $30 million for the development of a railway institute.

Winnie Guchu, Jubilee's executive director, said this was a golden opportunity to build cooperation with the CPC. "We want a strong party of the future, such as CCM of Tanzania and ANC of South Africa, that can withstand local and global changes. I think we are looking forward to learning how to structurally develop the party all the way to the grassroots levels and maintaining a vibrant presence.

Peter Kagwanja, the founder of the Africa Policy Institute, a policy think tank in Nairobi, said the meeting signified the deepening relations of the two ruling parties.

"The CPC has become a party that has successfully achieved development of its people, while the Jubilee Party wants to underpin its growth with development. There is a meeting of the minds. Kenya needs stability and development," he said.

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"The African Union has established good cooperation with China. We should therefore enhance our cooperation in the area of fighting corruption in African countries," she says.

Samate says she looks forward to a meeting between the African Union and China, where African leaders will have an opportunity to learn more about anti-corruption measures.

She says Africa is losing more than $50 billion a year through corruption. "We call upon AU member states to say no to corruption. Sometimes we corrupt people and other times we allow them to corrupt us. This is not acceptable. The money plundered through corruption could be used to create job opportunities for the many jobless young people," she says.

Samate spoke on the sidelines of the 30th AU summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, between Jan 22 and 29, whose theme was "Winning the fight against corruption: a sustainable path to Africa's transformation".

The AU has declared 2018 African Anti-Corruption Year, with the aim of realizing a peaceful and secure Africa.

Samate says African governments should prosecute all those found guilty of corruption-related offenses, as the Chinese government has done.

Ali Mufuruki, the chairman of Infotech Investment Group shares similar sentiments. Mufuruki says China has a very effective anti-corruption strategy, which can be replicated by African governments.

Mufuruki says, the Chinese political leadership has a great sense of accountability to its citizens, and would not want the public to have the notion that leaders can take advantage of their political powers to do whatever they want to.

"If the tone against corruption comes from the very top of government leadership, and the punishments remain severe, corruption will be eliminated. If Africa was serious about fighting corruption, the war could be won. Unfortunately, we are not serious," he says.

Tiwatope Adeleye, the spokesperson and the head of crisis monitoring and public communication in the Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says: "We should respect the law. If African governments became very strict, committed and dedicated to what the law says, and avoided protecting anybody, then the war on corruption would be won. If China is doing the same and has realized progress, African governments should emulate."

At a meeting with the Jubilee Party, the ruling political party in Kenya, on Jan 25, Wang Xiaohui, the deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the vice-director of the committee's policy and research office, said it would be hard for any country to achieve sustainable economic development unless it tackled corruption.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

Liberia and China are enjoying a strong relationship that has become an integral part of the West African nation's foreign policy, thanks to the African nation's support for the one-China policy, says Augustine Konneh, a Liberian foreign relations expert.

Konneh, now dean at a university in Monrovia, also served as director-general of Liberia's Foreign Service Institute for many years. He recalls that the ties between the two nations date back to the 1960s, during the period of the nonaligned movement, at which time Liberia began benefiting from development assistance from China.

Augustine Konneh, a Liberian foreign relations expert, says the country's incoming government should keep its relations with China on the same path because of the benefits. Provided to China Daily

"So when Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stepped in as president (in 2005), she continued to engage China with regard to this relationship and even made China a partner in the Agenda for Transformation (Liberia's major development strategy). As a result, this relationship has really grown and matured," he says.

Konneh says Liberia's incoming government must continue along the same path with China because of its benefits.

On Jan 22, former soccer star George Weah will be inducted as president of Liberia after winning more than 60 percent of the votes in the country's presidential runoff election against outgoing Vice-President Joseph Boakai.

Weah will take over from Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first democratically elected female head of state. She took power after the 2005 election following nearly two decades of civil war.

"I have no doubt that the next administration will maintain support for the one-China policy, given the fact that the country has benefited a great deal from China as a result of supporting it," Konneh says.

"It has become very apparent that the next government will ensure that we stay in that same mode so that we continue to benefit because of this appreciation from the Chinese, because our government has been very effective in developing the capacities we need politically, culturally and economically," he says.

The one-China policy is part of Liberia's foreign policy, he says, and "it would be improbable for the next government to abandon it, since it would require going back to the legislature for amendment, which may not succeed".

Konneh points to some of the benefits Liberia has enjoyed from its relationship with China, including infrastructure, human resources and agricultural projects across the country. He says the incoming administration can tap into opportunities for south-south cooperation in order to explore and deepen ties with China for win-win cooperation and mutual benefits.

"For example, industrialization. We know that China came from being an agrarian nation to now being an industrialized nation, and those processes are very important for Liberia to learn and follow," he says.

Konneh is calling for the incoming government "to align with China and tap into its experience".

"China is willing to help Third World countries because they know what it means to be poor," he says.

Zhang Yue, China's ambassador to Liberia, is also confident that China and Liberia will "join hand in hand" to foster their relationship as the two nations enter a new era.

Zhang said China is entering a new era, promoting socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, who is a soccer fan. Liberia is ushering in a new president, who is a former soccer star, so the two countries will experience "something new together".

He spoke on Jan 6 at a cultural exchange event in Monrovia, when the China-Liberia Wushu Association dedicated a new school building for the promotion of the sport in the West African nation.

For China Daily

In addition to helping Namibia improve its infrastructure, the Chinese government has played a crucial role in improving the country's education sector by aiding the construction of schools.

Joseph Shikongo, a senior official in the department of physical planning of Namibia's Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, says the country has built three primary schools and one senior school, thanks to Chinese grants.

Before construction of the schools, students studied under trees, but today they happily study inside beautiful classrooms, Shikongo says.

"The construction of the schools has motivated the children to attend classes. They are also studying comfortably without concerns about rain and hostile winds," he says.

One of the primary schools was built at Tallismanus settlement in Namibia's eastern region of Omaheke, about 415 kilometers from Windhoek, the capital.

The Tallismanus school, which has 600 students, was built by the China Youth Development Foundation, a Beijing-based nongovernmental organization.

Tallismanus settlement is inhabited by the nomadic San community, whose children don't usually enroll in school. The school consists of 12 general classrooms, an outdoor area for public activities, auxiliary buildings, a general office for teachers and the principal's office.

The other key school is Otjomuise Secondary School in Windhoek. The state-of-the-art school is for grades eight to 12 and can accommodate 690 students.

The $9.8 million school is equipped with classrooms, sports facilities, a caretaker's house, a multipurpose hall, a three-story hostel, laboratories, specialized classrooms, housing for teachers, an athletics track and a pavilion.

Shikongo says the school, on which construction began in August 2014, was opened in March 2016.

"The school is designed and modeled on the latest state-of-the-art design and technology. We are grateful to the Chinese government for helping us to construct such a facility, and we hope that our partnership will continue to deepen," he says.

The Chinese government is also sponsoring the teaching of Mandarin in several classrooms in Namibian schools.

Shikongo says teaching Mandarin in the country will deepen the people-to-people relationship between Chinese and Namibians.

"Once we have Namibians who can fluently speak Mandarin, the communication between the two parties will be easier. This will also create friendship between Chinese workers at construction sites and the local communities," he says.

The two governments also signed an agreement for cooperation in education, under which the Chinese government will provide full scholarships to Namibian students each year and send Chinese professors and lecturers to teach in Namibia. In addition, China's Ministry of Education has donated laboratory and teaching facilities to the University of Namibia. According to the Chinese embassy in Namibia, China has provided various forms of financial assistance to the country, including grants, interest-free loans and interest-subsidized loans, since 1990.

China has also helped Namibia with the construction of a series of projects, such as the Windhoek Day Care Centre for Children and low-cost housing projects in Windhoek, Gobabis and Katima Mulilo.

This is in addition to two phases of an irrigation pumping station project in Aussenkehr, the drilling and equipping of boreholes in the Omusati region and Caprivi, and the Northern Tannery in Ondangwa.

China also assisted in the construction of part of the new State House and regional assembly buildings in Rundu and Outapi.

China also runs a tracking, telemetry and command station in the coastal town of Swakopmund. The construction of the station was completed in 2001, following an agreement signed in 2000 between the two governments.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

According to Wang Yong, chairman of GuangHe Culture and Tourism Holding Co Ltd, Africans should take advantage of the $60 billion pledge for China-Africa development that was announced during the 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The funding includes $5 billion of free aid and interest-free loans and $35 billion in preferential loans, export credit and concessional loans. Additionally, $5 billion was allocated for the China-Africa Development Fund, a private equity and venture capital investment arm of China Development Bank.

From left: Minafou Fanta Kone, CEO of the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund; Brahim Banjelloun, group executive managing director of BMCE Bank Group; Wang Yong, chairman of GuangHe Culture and Tourism Holding Co Ltd; and Brahim El Jai, managing director of AfricInvest Morocco, during the China-Africa Investment Forum in Marrakech, Morocco, on Nov 28. Edith Mutethya / China Daily

The package also includes a $5 billion special loan for the development of African small and medium-sized enterprises, a financial vehicle implemented by China Development Bank that operates on a commercial basis. This is in addition to a China-Africa production capacity cooperation fund with initial capital of $10 billion.

"Enterprises should pay attention to the various financial packages from the funds and choose the ones that suit them. The financial support is aimed at helping Africa to realize sustainable self-development," he says.

Wang says better use of funds will enhance China-Africa economic cooperation, as well as increase the Asian country's investment in the continent.

Brahim Banjelloun, group executive managing director of BMCE Bank Group and president of the Bank of Africa, Morocco, says it is good news that there is a global framework for financing Africa through the Belt and Road Initiative. Projects to be developed through the initiative include roads, railways, ports and integration of maritime trade.

Last year, President Xi Jinping pledged $124 billion for the Belt and Road Initiative in an effort to forge a path for peace, inclusiveness and free trade.

"African countries should build on the funds that have been made available by China to grow their economies," Banjelloun says.

Banjelloun says the financial community should capitalize on the use of risk reduction tools to develop African finance and Sino-African cooperation.

"When it comes to guarantee products, it's essential to mitigate risks. Mitigating these risks calls for documenting contracts within jurisdictions that are easily recognizable through the transparency that can provide a framework for arbitration," he says.

Minafou Fanta Kone, CEO of the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund, says small and medium-sized enterprises should take advantage of the available funds to grow their businesses.

"The growth of Africa will truly take off when SMEs are able to play their role fully. Hence, they need to be financially supported. Believing in Africa is committing to SMEs, and I believe that is the key to development," she says.

Zhao Lei, president of Lion Fund Management, says African countries should consider asset securitization of public-private partnership projects in an effort to attract private capital to the projects.

Asset securitization is the practice of pooling various types of contractual debt and selling their related cash flows to third-party investors as securities, which may be described as bonds, pass-through securities or collateralized debt obligations.

Zhao says his company has been doing this in China and is considering doing the same in Africa.

"Asset securitization can provide long-term stable returns for capital market investors," he says.

China is also planning to promote the use of public-private partnership contracts in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. The Asian powerhouse plans to work with countries along the route to finance and deliver the projects, with a focus on energy and transportation infrastructure.

Sun Yangdong, general manager of Tenergy China, says public-private partnerships are the best structure for cooperation in infrastructure development.

"Chinese companies are looking for investment opportunities in Africa, and PPP could be one of the best investment methods. The Chinese government is taking advantage of the PPP model to alleviate poverty and Africa should take a leaf from the country," he says.

By banning the processing and sale of ivory products from Dec 31, China has fulfilled its pledge to protect wildlife and honored the announcement it made several months ago that it would outlaw all domestic trade in ivory by the end of 2017.

Conservationists across the world have hailed Beijing's move as an important step in the right direction in the epic and often extremely complex fight to protect endangered species such as elephants.

Until the ban was announced, China was frequently described as "one of the world's biggest markets for African ivory", although this claim was rarely backed up by numbers and never calculated on a per capita basis. China is the most populous country on Earth, so it is logical that more ivory was being processed in this country than in many other, much smaller countries.

It is also important to remember that in the past, ivory products were not only used for decorative or fashion purposes, or as a status symbol, but also as a test of craftsmanship and as objects of art.

Despite the extremely important role that ivory has played in Chinese culture for centuries, and despite its unwavering internal demand, the Chinese government decided to put the survival of elephants above commercial interests. The decision is clearly in line with the commitment of President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China Central Committee to what is known as "ecological civilization".

Applauding China's move, Ginette Hemley, senior vice-president of World Wide Fund for Nature, said, "China has followed through on a great promise it made to the world, offering hope for the future of elephants." Which definitely cannot be said about the West.

Although African elephants are on the United States' endangered species list, they are not protected by US legislation anymore. US President Donald Trump has lifted a ban imposed by his predecessor, Barak Obama, on the importation of so-called elephant trophies to the US.

On Nov 16, 2017, The Independent reported: "The US government has scrapped regulations which forbid elephant trophies being brought into the country from Zimbabwe and Zambia, arguing hunting could help conservation efforts... . The decision to lift the ban was described as 'jarring' by the Humane Society. 'Evidence shows that poaching has increased in areas where trophy hunting is permitted,' said chief executive Wayne Pacelle."

The US is not alone. In the United Kingdom, Environment Secretary Michael Gove has been calling for an end to the trade in ivory. However, the government claims there could be exemptions for "musical instruments and items of cultural importance".

Conservation groups do not seem to be too impressed with the UK's approach. It is easy to understand why. The UK is now the world's leading exporter of "legal" ivory artifacts and antiques. The BBC recently said: "According to an Environmental Investigation Agency report, there were more than 36,000 items exported from the UK between 2010 and 2015, more than three times that of the next biggest exporter, the US".

It seems China is far ahead of many other countries in banning the ivory trade. While there is a lot of sentimental talk about saving the endangered species in places like London and Washington, it is Beijing that has taken a simple and decisive action to protect wildlife. There is no doublespeak. Thousands of endangered elephants will survive, full stop. This decision could be summarized as "the life of animals over profits".

The author is a novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Tembo, 58, along with more than a million people in the Southern Region of Malawi, faces hunger this year.

The last harvest failed due to drought and floods.

The little maize that survived was attacked a few months later by fall armyworms, which have wreaked havoc in Southern and East Africa.

"The floods washed away everything I owned. Then a dry spell wiped out the crops in the field. A few months later, armyworms and locusts attacked the remaining crop. Today we have no food," Tembo says.

The situation in Tembo's village and other 20 districts of the country, including Nsanje, Phalombe, Chikwawa, Blantyre and Balaka, is dire and forced Malawi President Peter Mutharika to declare the districts disaster areas in November.

The declaration was made to appeal to international organizations and partner countries to help avoid deaths due to hunger.

China answered the call.

On Dec 20, the Chinese government was the first country to ship in rice - 3,270 metric tons, worth $3 million.

Chinese Ambassador to Malawi Wang Shiting made the symbolic donation to Vice-President Saulosi Chilima in Nsanje.

Wang says the Chinese government realized that people in southern Malawi were in dire need of food following the armyworm attack, floods and poor rain patterns last growing season.

"The Chinese government will continue to offer emergency food assistance where need be," says the ambassador.

He says his government is proud to be among the first development partners to deliver on the promise of food assistance, as was the case in 2015 when 1.3 million people needed food aid.

To end hunger in the country, Wang says China is making agricultural cooperation a priority in China-Malawi relations, which were established 10 years ago when Malawi ended "diplomatic" ties with Taiwan.

"We are offering support for agricultural projects in Malawian to ensure that the country is food secure," Wang says.

Vice-President Chilima, who has since officially launched the 2017/18 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Program, says the donated rice will go a long way toward supporting Malawians badly affected by hunger.

He thanked China for its quick response to the crisis.

For her part, Florence Rolle, acting United Nations resident coordinator, says it is pleasing to note that this year the number of Malawians affected by hunger is fewer than the total in 2016.

She has urged the authorities to make sure that only those in the most need benefit from various interventions, which include cash aid and food distribution.

"Chronic food insecurity in Malawi requires interventions beyond humanitarian food assistance," Rolle says.

"There is a need to step up interventions that will contribute to the building of resilience in affected communities to break this vicious cycle," she adds.

This is not the first time the Chinese government has donated rice to hungry Malawians.

In 2016, the country provided 6,000 tons of rice to be distributed to 271,266 households in 16 of 24 districts affected by drought.

The Chinese government has also been donating rice to several African countries to help them mitigate the food crisis. Beneficiaries include Uganda, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone.

Apart from food assistance, Malawi is benefiting greatly from relations with China.

The construction of the Malawi Parliament building, Bingu National Stadium, the Karonga-Chitipa Road in the northern region, the Bingu Conference Center and Hotel, the Malawi University of Science and Technology and the presidential villas are some of the benefits Malawi has gained from China as a result of the diplomatic relationship.

Malawi and China have maintained diplomatic relations since 2008.

For China Daily

A Chinese investor is putting up a business park to include a new $25 million hotel in Blantyre, the commercial capital of Malawi.

The investor is betting that the Sogecoa Business Park, which will include a five-star hotel, a recreation center with a casino and a shopping mall and cinema, will revive the city as a regional trade hub.

Malawi President Peter Mutharika (left) being briefed about the project in Blantyre, Malawi on Dec 19. Moses Michael-Phiri / For China Daily

According to Xia Fang, vice-president of Anhui Foreign Economic Construction (Group) Co, the project, scheduled for completion in December, will make Blantyre a bigger year-round attraction for conference tourism, commercial business and family entertainment.

He says the company plans to invest $75 million in another business park and a shopping center in Lilongwe, the country's capital.

"Malawi is a true friend of China and has for the past 10 years offered us a good environment to invest. We are ready to invest more in this peaceful country, known as the Warm Heart of Africa," says Xia.

The two projects are expected to create more than 3,000 jobs, according to Henry Mussa, the country's minister of trade, industry and tourism.

Alfred Joabe, a lecturer on commerce at the Catholic University of Malawi, says foreign direct investment such as that made by Chinese investors needs to be recognized as a crucial catalyst to spur economic growth, especially for developing economies like Malawi.

"China and many other leading economies today have joined the elite club of the developed world by promoting and supporting the flow of FDI into the developing world. They hope that such flows will uplift the livelihood of many poor people," he says.

Malawian President Peter Mutharika shares similar sentiments. Speaking on Dec 19 while commissioning the project in Blantyre, he said the project would boost the country's tourism sector and create many job opportunities for the country's young people.

Mutharika said the business park and the hotel will modernize Blantyre.

"The development progress of Blantyre stalled for some time, but now the time has come for it to grow again. Investments such as these are good for any economy, for they create wealth and jobs for the youth and other residents," he said.

He hinted that there are a number of Chinese government-funded infrastructure developments in the pipeline, including a 186-kilometer ring road in Blantyre, rehabilitation of Chileka International Airport - Malawi's second-largest - and construction of a new national stadium.

Among achievements of China-Malawi cooperation are construction of the Malawi Parliament building, Bingu National Stadium, Karonga-Chitipa Road in the northern region, the Bingu Conference Center and Hotel, Malawi University of Science and Technology and the presidential villas.

Chinese Ambassador Wang Shiting believes China is one of the biggest foreign direct investors in Malawi: "This year marks the 10th anniversary of relations between Malawi and China. The development achievements between the two countries over these 10 years are visible for all to see.

"With the new hotel project in Blantyre, I am sure more people will come to visit Malawi, and in the end, the county's economy will grow. Other than that, Blantyre will change. We encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Malawi, as there are a lot of opportunities," he says.

For China Daily

The increasing number of Chinese enterprises in Kenya is good news for fresh university graduates. The companies have given them hope of securing jobs immediately after graduating.

Unlike the Chinese businesses, most local companies prefer to employ experienced personnel rather than recent graduates.

Students apply for jobs at the 2017 job fair at the University of Nairobi on Dec 20. Liu Hongjie / China Daily

The local businesses argue that, while hiring fresh graduates has advantages such as low salary overheads, there are disadvantages such as a greater need for supervision and help.

This can be disheartening for young people who, after struggling to get through school with the hope of clinching white-collar employment, have to face the reality of job-hunting for years. The problem is made worse by the fact that thousands of graduates are released into the job market every year.

However, Chinese enterprises are changing this situation as they seek to collaborate with local universities. In 2016, the Kenya-China Economic and Trade Association, the Kenya Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi launched job fairs for Kenyan students.

These have been a platform for students to acquire firsthand information on the skills required for employment. Several students have acquired jobs through the fairs.

Elizabeth Wanjala, who graduated on Dec 22 with a major in Chinese and communication from the University of Nairobi, secured employment with a Chinese company through the job fairs, even before graduating.

Wanjala applied for a job at China Road and Bridge Corp as a standard gauge railway locomotive driver during the first job fair in 2016 and was hired. She was also given the opportunity to go to China for training.

"I advise all students to take a keen interest in these job fairs in order to secure opportunities offered by Chinese enterprises. I thank CRBC for giving me an opportunity to acquire the skills that I currently have," she says.

Wanjala says the fairs have given university students hope and motivated them to pursue their dream careers.

Purity Wanyaga, who graduated in August with a degree in agribusiness management and economics from Kenyatta University, says she is grateful to Chinese enterprises for the opportunities they offer new graduates.

"Advertisements for job opportunities always require more than two years of experience. This is a great disadvantage to fresh graduates. I'm really grateful to the Chinese enterprises for giving us an opportunity to work with them without any experience," she says.

During the recent job fair, Wanyaga got a job with a Chinese company in sales and marketing. "Sales and marketing gives one an all-around exposure and also offers a person an opportunity to network with various people," she says.

Kevin Xu, general manager of Longtron (K) Electronics Technology Ltd, says his company prefers fresh graduates because they have a good foundation of knowledge. He says it's easier to mold a fresh graduate than train experienced personnel to adjust or completely discard their preconceived habits and notions.

"As foreign investors, most of the time we bring in new technologies, compelling us to train local staff, and in this case fresh graduates are easier to deal with because they adapt easily," he says.

During the 2016 job fair, his company recruited 12 graduates whose performance, he says, has been commendable. At the 2017 fair, the company had 35 vacancies. Xu also encouraged 13 companies from the Hunan Association to participate in the fair.

Peter Mbithi, University of Nairobi vice-chancellor, challenges local companies to emulate Chinese enterprises and actively support recent graduates by organizing job fairs.

"Job fairs would offer your company the upper hand to access qualified candidates long before graduation. Young people are the future of this nation, so they should be given an opportunity to participate in the country's economic growth," he says.

Similar sentiments are shared by Beatrice Elachi, the Nairobi county speaker, who says students should be given an opportunity to face prospective employers in order to acquire firsthand information on the skills required for job recruitment.

Li Xuhang, the charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy, challenges Chinese companies to take full advantage of the job fairs to discover and select young talent.

"Train young talent properly so it can grow and develop to its full potential together with your companies," he says.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

Film and television can transcend geographical distance and connect the hearts and minds of the Chinese and African people, though they are separated by thousands of kilometers, says an official of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship.

The six-episode documentary film Africans in Yiwu is one example and will surely play an active role in promoting the understanding between Chinese and Africans, said Lin Yi, vice-president of the association, at a ceremony on Dec 28 to introduce the film in Beijing.

Chinese and African representatives take part in the broadcasting ceremony of the documentary film Africans in Yiwu in Beijing on Dec 28. Provided to China Daily

The film, produced by the Center for African Film and TV Research of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, tells the stories of the lives and work of African people in Yiwu and its surrounding suburbs, against the backdrop of the rapid development of China-Africa relations. The documentary looks at different aspects of their lives, including business activities, societal structures, marriage, education, food and artistic activities.

Hodan Abdi of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, also the Somali co-director of the film, said the production process incorporated Chinese and African talent alike. It took more than two years to record the normal lives of more than 20 people from 13 African countries.

"I wanted to show the diversification of people's lives in the film," she said at the ceremony.

"From the perspective of communication studies, the African image in the current mainstream film and TV media is deeply undermined by stereotypes such as poverty, violence and wars," she added. "My goal is to take advantage of the decadelong studies and cross-cultural experience in China to correct this stereotype and promote mutual understanding between the people of China and Africa."

According to Zhang Yong, chief director of the documentary, they have chosen to record those stories that represent the lives of those at the grassroots of China and Africa.

Africans' understanding of China is mainly influenced by Bruce Lee's kung fu movies, while most Chinese people's understanding of Africa comes from Hollywood movies, Zhang said. The reality is, whether from Africa or China, all people have their ups and downs and experience joys and sorrows, Zhang added.

Yiwu is an export-oriented city in East China's Zhejiang province. Yiwu Party chief Sheng Qiuping said in 2015, when he was the city's mayor, that about 15,000 foreign residents from more than 100 countries and regions had come to the city with a dream of making a better life. In addition, more than 500,000 overseas businesspeople visit Yiwu each year.

Somali Ambassador to China Yusuf Hassan Ibrahim said the stories of African and Chinese people should be told and written by themselves, not by others. The documentary tells people how Africans work and live in China, and how they communicate and understand each other.

Diallo Yoro, a Malian senior research fellow at the institute of African Studies, who previously held the position of first counselor at Mali's embassy in China, said, "Africans in Yiwu advocates the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative: peace, tolerance, mutual inspiration and esteem, respect for cultural diversity, integration, exchange and sharing."

He said he believes that overall, China-Africa cooperation is very positive, even though there are challenges. However, so long as relations are based on cooperation, the challenges and difficulties are insignificant, he added.

Beginning on Jan 6, the documentary will be broadcast for the first time on CCTV-4 on a weekly basis, and will be shown at the same time on the online video platform iQiyi. The film is also to be broadcast in 30 African countries through the StarTimes movie channel during the first week of January.

The film was shown at the Zanzibar International Film Festival in Tanzania in July and was selected as the opening film for the Lusaka International Film Festival in Zambia.

Africans in Yiwu was named Best Online Documentary Film of the Year at the 2017 China Online Film and Television Awards.

renjie@chinadaily.com.cn

During the recently held China-Africa Investment Forum, high-level Chinese and African economic decisionmakers and business leaders called upon African countries that have not yet joined the initiative to consider doing so.

They said the initiative presents a unique opportunity to accelerate Chinese investments on the continent and is expected to help African countries to improve their infrastructure, one of the vital components of economic growth.

Moulay Elalamy, the Moroccan minister of industry, investment, trade and digital economy, says the infrastructure projects financed by China through the Belt and Road Initiative will make it possible to better connect African countries, especially those without a coastline.

The initiative will also help in opening up new Sino-African and intra-African trade opportunities, he says.

"The Belt and Road Initiative should radically change Africa's participation in global trade as well as act as a catalyst for the industrial transformation of the continent," Elalamy says.

Mohammed Basli, the Tunisian ambassa-Road Initiative will make it possible to better connect African countries, especially those without a coastline.

The initiative will also help in opening up new Sino-African and intra-African trade opportunities, he says.

"The Belt and Road Initiative should radically change Africa's participation in global trade as well as act as a catalyst for the industrial transformation of the continent," Elalamy says.

Mohammed Basli, the Tunisian ambassador to Morocco, says the initiative has brought connections between people as well as better understanding.

"The initiative has ... bridged the gap that has existed between the East and the West. The best thing is that China has opened itself up to understand the rest of the world. The initiative seeks to gather people together with the common goal of prosperity. We are on the same road, and China is the security belt," he says.

Jean-Claude Brou, Cote d'Ivoire's minister of industry and mines, says the initiative will reinforce connectivity and growth, in addition to promoting employment growth.

"I believe the initiative will be an important element to sum up the required transformation and investment in the value chain as well as in innovation and technology," he says.

Karim Tazi, president of the Moroccan Textile and Clothing Industry Association, says, "Countries located in the economic belt area will be able to benefit from trade relations by establishing the necessary infrastructure and sales board networks, which will have a beneficial effect on development of intratrade and joint investment."

However, Elalamy says the expected benefits of the Belt and Road Initiative will be achieved if the funds allocated to the initiative are invested in industrialization projects and if Africa takes control of its industrial future and deploys appropriate strategies.

Abdu Mukhtar, the African Development Bank's director of industrial and trade development in the private sector, also says Africa should have a strategy for China.

"Africa has many think tanks that claim to be experts on China, so it is important to have a platform to bring them together so that they can clearly articulate what Africa really needs from the Chinese government and private investors in the next five years," he says.

Othman Benjelloun, the CEO of BMCE Bank of Africa Group and chairman of FinanceCom in Morocco, says Belt and Road projects should approach Africa as a whole, since the continent presents many opportunities.

David You, vice-president of the international system business unit at Trina Solar Ltd in China, says his country's approach through the initiative is to make friends around the world.

"The objective of the Belt and Road Initiative is to create a platform for global economic cooperation," he says.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

Mobike Technology, the world's largest bike-sharing company, rolled its "zero-pollution" concept into Africa with of a 3.5 kilometer bike ride in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, last weekend.

More than 200 riders took part in the ride through central Nairobi early on Dec 3, a day before the opening of the 3rd United Nations Environment Assembly.

Riders participate in the anti-pollution event organized by Mobike on Dec 3 in Nairobi, Kenya. The leisurely ride was intended to show how the world is ready for more sustainable transportation methods and share-the-road initiatives. Provided to China Daily

Erik Solheim, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme; Liu Xianfa, China's ambassador to Kenya and Hu Weiwei, founder and president of Mobike, took part in the ride, which was aimed at promoting the fight against pollution.

Mobike shipped 100 bikes from China for the event, which was joined by more than 100 other riders. The Mobike bicycles were then made available for the participants from 193 countries who were in Nairobi for the assembly, held at UN headquarters from Dec 3 to 6. After the assembly, the bikes were donated to the UN to be used on the campus of its Nairobi headquarters to serve staff and visitors.

"Mobike provides an intelligent, low-carbon and swift means of transport which is changing our cities," says Solheim. "We hope that, through the collaboration with Mobike, we will bring the concept of green travel and environment to more countries and cities."

Air pollution is a massive problem worldwide, claiming an estimated 6.5 million lives each year according to a World Health Organization report. Bike sharing is a crucial alternative to motorized transportation, and bike-sharing companies are leading the way in cutting out journeys that contribute to air pollution and climate change.

Statistics from Mobike indicate that, to date, it has provided 8 million bikes across the world, serving more than 200 cities in 12 countries.

"This is the first time that Mobike has launched its operation in Africa, thanks to the recognition of and support for the company's concept by the United Nations Environment Programme," says Hu, Mobike's president.

Mobike is dedicated to science, technological and commercial innovation, Hu says. It endeavors to use its bikes in cities to ease traffic congestion and air pollution.

"Yet the realization of these goals needs the interaction of people from all walks of life throhout the world," she says. "Mobike is willing to cooperate closely with national and city governments to jointly create a series of sustainable urban ecotransportation plans and drive the sustainable development of the green economy.

"I am extremely happy to ride a Mobike bike in Nairobi, a city known as the capital of world environment, where bicycles have been absent for a long time," says Liu. "This is a concrete move that shows Chinese companies support the call of the United Nations Environment Programme."

According to figures given by the company, Mobike users have cycled more than 18.2 billion km, preventing 4.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to taking 1.24 million cars off the road for a year.

Sirjabir Abba and Rinkesh Patel are two mountain bike riders who regularly ride at weekends. They learned about the Nairobi event from Facebook and were eager to participate.

"The event is a physical part of the fight against pollution. With bikes, we are going green, consuming less fuel and producing less smoke," says Patel. "More people should start cycling."

panzhongming@chinadaily.com.cn

The Chinese people, under President Xi Jinping's leadership, no longer aspire to rebuild the Great Wall. Instead, they are devoted to rebuilding the Silk Road, with all the common consultation, common construction and shared benefits that China's Belt and Road Initiative promises.

This is not the first move to revive the ancient trade route. There have been attempts by the European Union, the United States, Russia, and even India, to reconstruct the ancient Silk Road that linked Asia and Europe in particular. What makes China's attempt different is the commitment of President Xi, as well as the numerous agreements - such as the 130 transportation pacts - it has already signed with partner countries along the route. The initiative will inject trillions of dollars into the international transportation infrastructure - mainly railways and roads stretching across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

The Belt and Road Initiative is designed to boost commerce and has won extensive endorsement from the international community. Xi said at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May that the only way for China to realize the development promised by the Belt and Road Initiative is to have an environment of global stability.

Addressing other world leaders at the summit in Beijing, Xi said it was necessary to coordinate policies with the development goals of institutions including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the African Union and the European Union. He pledged $124 billion at the summit for the new Silk Road.

Essentially, China sees itself as having taken the mantle of globalization from the US and therefore the Belt and Road Initiative announces China as its preeminent global promoter - with Chinese characteristics.

The initiative aims to create the world's largest platform for promoting policy coordination, connectivity of facilities, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bonds

The initiative has made good progress and won a warm response and active participation. More than 100 countries and international organizations have joined, among which more than 40 have signed cooperation agreements with China, reaching a broad international consensus.

Africa has a natural and historical connection with the initiative. In the 15th century, Chinese Admiral Zheng He led a fleet of 300 ships to Africa, that sowed the seeds of a friendship in the hearts of both Chinese and African people which has lasted since then. With an area of more than 30 million square kilometers, a population of 1.1 billion (of which youth accounts for more than 50 percent), 800 million hectares of arable land and countless natural resources, Africa is unarguably an important pillar of the world economy. Most African countries are endeavoring to industrialize and diversify their economies, while China, after nearly 40 years of reform and openingup, has accumulated rich experience in industrialization and modernization. The combination of Chinese capital, technology, market, enterprises, talents, and development experience and African resources, huge demographic dividend and market potential presents the opportunity for another miracle of development.

Nigeria is strategically located and is in several ways a political anomaly in Africa. It is a regional and continental self-determined powerhouse that has, since independence, adopted and maintained a policy of political neutrality in foreign relations. Its influence and a strong belief in itself as a formidable (real or latent) global actor have inspired Nigeria's active involvement in the continent of Africa via its foreign policy on significant global matters. Nigeria's significance in Africa is arguably necessary for any actors looking to make a strategic power play, economic or otherwise, on the continent. It is a resource-endowed nation with a young, growing, diverse population. It is heavily populated and growing rapidly; Nigeria's population is currently the seventh-largest globally, projected to be 203 million by 2025 and 279 million by 2050, making up more than 20 percent of the total African population. Nigeria's favorable demographic advantage also makes it a consumer country.

As the leading nation of West Africa and one of the most powerful nations on the continent, Nigeria is highly respected throughout the world, especially in China. China and Nigeria are strategic partners sharing similar cultures and historical backgrounds. They celebrate their nationhood on the same day and have highly complementary economies. Their friendship has borne rich fruits covering almost all fields in recent years but, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during his visit to Abuja in January 2017, "Compared with the size, population and market of China and Nigeria, the two countries' cooperation still has a large potential to be deepened." He went on to say, "In the past, China supported African nations to attain political independence, but this time the Chinese people are willing to support African nations in gaining economic independence; the Belt and Road can act as a platform to attain the economic independence. Nigeria should position itself to benefit from this opportunity."

After many years of excessive dependence on oil, the other industries of Nigeria are undergrown, and the large reserve of human resources is underused. Nigeria's government is eager and working hard to diversify its economy as well as to train more talent who will be able to shoulder responsibility in the new era. Meanwhile, China, through platforms like the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Belt and Road Initiative and many other mechanisms, shows strong willingness to share its experience and encourage the development of other nations. With the late-comer advantage, Nigeria can introduce the most advanced management systems, cutting-edge technology and experienced talent in all fields, therefore circumventing the detours China once took. Such late-comer advantage, together with better governance, reform, an opening-up policy and the dedication of several generations, has contributed to China's development miracle. If China can attain such miracle, then Nigeria can as well.

Over the last decade, China has become a major economic partner of Nigeria. In Africa, it is China's number one engineering market, number two export market, number three trading partner and major investment destination. China has been embraced by Nigeria and has continued to expand its trade relations in the country. Trade between China and Nigeria has increased from $2 billion in 2005 to $6.5 billion in the first five months of 2017, an increase of 33 percent over the same period in 2016. This represented 7.6 percent of the total trade volume between China and Africa and 36.4 percent of total trade volume between China and the Economic Community of West African States. China's investment in Nigeria grew by 27 percent in 2016. It has already invested or financed a total of over $22 billion worth of projects in Nigeria. Another $23 billion of projects are ongoing. All these investments have helped China's total investment in Nigeria climb to $15 billion. The nation is affectionately referred to as "Africa's China" among global investors.

Along with investment, Chinese technology, management and experienced workers also flood into Nigeria, greatly boosting the diversification and development of the Nigerian economy. The benefits from Chinese investment can be seen everywhere. What impressed me most when I traveled there recently was the willingness and enthusiasm of local people to welcome Chinese investment. They told me that Chinese investment had become the pillar of the local economy and made their hometown a better place.

Nigeria has all the required qualities to become another world manufacturer, and China has the willingness and ability to support it in realizing its potential. China and Nigeria need to find a platform and mechanism to effectively conduct their cooperation, and this is the very role the Belt and Road Initiative is playing.

Considering the economy, population and market of the Belt and Road participating countries, the initiative will have a great impact on the world economy in coming years. For example, the building of the Lekki Free Trade Zone will be significant in reducing the country's reliance on imports. The Lekki port, expected to be completed in 2018, may function as a commerce hub extending the Belt and Road farther to the west on the African continent. The Chinese are looking forward to working with their Nigerian friends for more active participation in the initiative, laying a more solid foundation and fostering greater connectivity for world economic growth.

The author is a researcher with the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Kenya and China will strengthen mutually beneficial economic relations after the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta for another five-year term, experts say.

Kenyatta was sworn in on Nov 28 as the head of state of East Africa's largest economy at the nation's capital, Nairobi, after he won a rerun presidential election.

Chinese engineer Lin Jiaqin works at the Lamu port in Kenya. Photo by Chen Cheng / Xinhua

Kenyatta, was declared the winner of the country's repeat election on October 30, garnering 7.48 million votes, or 98 percent of the vote. His win was upheld by Kenya's Supreme Court on November 20.

According to Macharia Munene, a professor of history and international relations at the United States International University in Kenya, relations between the two countries will be marked by deeper cooperation on trade and bilateral engagements going forward.

"The future of Kenya China relations is great," says Munene.

China in the past four years has pumped billions of dollars into Kenya to finance power generation and road construction projects.

Kenya is a also a beneficiary of the Belt and Road Initiative, launched by President Xi Jinping, with which China seeks to expand the ancient land routes connecting China to the Mediterranean Sea as well as corresponding ocean routes. China aims to refashion the ancient Silk Road linking Asia with Europe and Africa, including Kenya on the Indian Ocean coast.

China was among the first to congratulate Kenyatta after his victory in the presidential elections.

In his message of congratulations, Xi told Kenyatta that China is eyeing stronger cooperation between the two countries.

"During your participation in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing last May, we had an in-depth exchange of views on the development of bilateral relations and reached extensive consensus," Xi said.

Xi, who was re-elected as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee in October, added: "I attach high importance to China-Kenya relations and I am ready to work with your excellency to enhance the China-Kenya Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Relationship and further benefit our two countries and our people."

According to Munene, it will be during Xi's and Kenyatta's tenures that the African part of the Belt and Road Initiative will be accomplished.

Munene says China is serious about engaging with Kenya on many fronts, adding that the Asian powerhouse will increase its flagship projects in Kenya going forward.

"Chinese investments and projects will increase at cultural, trade, investment and political levels. Their effect will be felt widely," Munene says.

He predicts there will be a spike in educational exchanges between the two nations.

"The number of Kenyans who speak Chinese is growing. This is critical to Kenya's understanding of China's growing presence as a global power and a world in which great powers are running away from responsibility," Munene says.

Aly-Khan Satchu, chief executive of the Nairobi-based investment advisory company Rich Management, says: "I expect closer cooperation between Kenya and China in Kenyatta's second term. In particular, I expect China to cement its position in the short term via putting extra funds to work to support Kenya amid Kenya's GDP slowdown."

Satchu adds that he expects a deeper engagement through more Chinese projects in Kenya.

"Clearly, Kenya is at the extremity of (Belt and Road), and therefore I expect more and deeper collaboration around that theme including ports and infrastructure, among others," the Nairobi-based analyst says.

President Kenyatta has often expressed a desire to build a stronger trade and bilateral relationship between China and Kenya.

While speaking at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in May, he said Kenya would seek to increase trade with China. "As with any country, the trade deficit is an issue of concern and we will be pushing to see how we can increase opportunities for Kenyan goods to penetrate the Chinese market," he said.

According to Munene, the professor, the striking similarities between President Xi and President Kenyatta have made engagements between the two nations richer.

"The leaders of the two countries are focused on their national interests, are sons of the founders of New China in 1949 and New Kenya in 1963, and seem to like each other's commitment and determination. They lead countries that are powerhouses in their zones," Munene says.

China has committed to support Kenya with financial and technical support to deal with gaping infrastructural gaps.

For China Daily

African and Asian journalists should pay close attention to cooperation between China and their respective countries, with a particular focus on the Belt and Road Initiative, Hu Zhenyue, vice-president of the China Public Diplomacy Association, told visiting media representatives.

Hu said China "highly values the development of friendly exchanges and mutual cooperation" with African, South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, adding, "Under the Belt and Road Initiative, our cooperation is entering a new high."

Journalists attend the closing ceremony in Beijing on Dec 5 of a media fellowship program for 27 journalists from African countries and 15 from South and Southeast Asia. Su Qiang / China Daily

He was speaking at the closing ceremony on Dec 5 of a media fellowship program for 27 journalists from African countries and 15 from South and Southeast Asia.

"We hope that you continue to pay attention to China's bilateral exchanges and regional cooperation, especially the construction process of the Belt and Road Initiative. We hope you can convey objective messages and carry forward peace and friendship in order to boost win-win cooperation," Hu said.

Journalists from the China Africa Press Center and the China South Asia and Southeast Asia Press Center lived in China for 10 months, starting in February.

They attended lectures and seminars, learned Chinese, attended media exchange activities, toured the country, and reported on major political and international events in Beijing and other cities.

Events they covered included the Two Sessions, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the BRICS summit and the 19th CPC National Congress.

Hu praised the journalists for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between their respective countries and China.

"The Chinese and African people are friends by nature," he said. "We have enjoyed deep emotions toward each other and have huge potential for bilateral cooperation."

Kimeng Hilton Ndukong, a Cameroonian journalist who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said the fellowship program had been a means of broadening journalists' understanding of China to counteract prejudice fueled by "persistent negative reporting by a section of the international media".

He said, "Africans are mature enough to choose their true friends" and cited historical ties between the continent and China, dating back to the early 1970s when China was readmitted into the United Nations.

"China has maintained strengthened ties with Africa by all effective, practical and friendly means for around five decades. The dividends are all too glaring and undeniable, even to the blind," Ndukong said.

Visits to various public institutions in Beijing and trips to 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities enabled the journalists to appreciate this great nation, especially its diversity, grandeur and superlative achievements, he said.

"It might therefore not be presumptuous for us to say that, through the close to 1,500 stories we have published in the past 10 months, audiences in 27 African countries and even beyond got to know more about China," he said. He called on his colleagues to continue sharing stories about the true China

Filipino journalist Jelly Musico, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues from South and Southeast Asia, said, "China won my heart and respect" because of its unprecedented accomplishments.

"China has not only lifted over 700 million people out of poverty, but built itself as the world's second-largest economy in a span of three decades," he said.

Over 10 months, he had learned that "China is prepared to become a close partner and friend of any country that aspires to economic prosperity for its people".

In fact, China had made itself closer to its Asian neighbors - and even to the other regions and continents of the world, like Africa - by proposing the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

"Let this Belt and Road Initiative serve as a platform that will bind us together as we take off for a new era of media collaboration between China and our respective countries, through the help of the CPDA," he concluded.

For China Daily

China is helping African countries to train neurosurgeons, inviting 10 doctors to the country for training each year, building hospitals in Africa and sending out volunteers, a top Chinese neurosurgeon said.

From next year on, Chinese hospitals such as Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Cheeloo College of Medicine Shandong University and Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, will each host one neurosurgeon selected from an African country. They will have the opportunity to practice treatments and communicate with the experts in China, according to Ling Feng, one of China's leading neurosurgeons and a board member of the Geneva-based World Federation of Neurological Societies.

"As one of the most difficult medical fields, being able to train young neurosurgeons would help save a lot of lives. For some diseases - stroke, hypertension-related hemorrhaging - if you cannot offer emergency treatment, patients can die immediately," Ling said at the First Silk Road NGO Cooperation Network Forum held in Beijing recently.

After four years of training, candidates will obtain a Chinese medical specialist certificate, which is recognized by universities in Ethiopia. They will return to their original countries, countering the current "brain drain" trend in Africa, according to Ling, who is also a research professor at the Capital University of Medical Sciences in Beijing.

Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Kenya are scheduled to participate in the project.

Ling said the program welcomes neurosurgeons, especially those who are young and have a good educational background, from all the countries in Africa.

"Usually, African neurosurgeons have a strong foundation in theory, as they get educated in American or European schools. But they lack practical experience, which the project can provide," Ling said, adding that she hopes more young doctors can go back to their own countries and serve local people.

More projects are also underway.

"We are planning to build a neurosurgeons' training center in Ethiopia. This will receive doctors from East Africa and offer courses for three to 12 months," said Ling.

Chinese medical volunteers will work for three to 12 months in the Ethiopian training center, where surgeons from East African countries can be trained as neurosurgeons.

Ling said training at home and abroad would serve as a foundation for medical science, as well as introducing a new culture of education in the surgeons' home countries. Continuation of such a culture will lead to the development of a generation of neurosurgeons and hundreds of native specialists in the medium term.

Neurosurgeons are scarce in Africa. A project dubbed "Africa 100", aiming to support neurosurgical education and tackle the workforce crisis in Africa, was launched by the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, the world's largest academic organization for neurological surgery, in 2011. It is expected to train 100 African neurosurgeons within 10 years.

The annual death rate in Africa due to head trauma caused by road accidents is estimated to be three times more than that for deaths from AIDS. The lack of neurosurgical care in large regions of Africa means neurosurgeons are urgently needed.

However, the pace of the "Africa 100" project is relatively slow. Due to the difficulty of studying neurosurgery and a lack of medical facilities, training just one neurosurgeon takes six years. It would therefore take a long time to accomplish the project.

Over past six years, only 24 candidates have been trained successfully and have gone on to become qualified neurosurgeons.

As part of the Belt and Road Initiative, China is stepping in to help train the next generation of neurosurgeons in African countries.

Investigative research, focusing on the medical environment in Ethiopia, was carried out in September. As the lead medical expert, Ling found that medical facilities there were far behind and there was a serious shortage of specialists, as well as other medical care workers. This made it impossible for sophisticated operations, such as neurosurgery, to be carried out.

In 2012, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce sponsored a training course on minimally invasive neurosurgery technologies and management. Over 200 doctors from 47 countries and regions attended, learning the latest neurological techniques.

Contact the writers at yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn and zhaoruinan@chinadaily.com.cn

Zhang said China, as a friend of Liberia and Africa, is not only a development partner but also a contributor to the country's peace and security.

"Capacity building is an important part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission; we would like to see the momentum going on and continue efforts with international partners, even in the post UNMIL (United Nations mission in Liberia) time," he said.

From left: Chinese ambassador to Liberia Zhang Yue, Liberia's Minister of Justice Fredrick Cherue and Police Chief Gregory Coleman at the donation program on Nov 24 in Monrovia, Liberia. Alpha Daffae Senkpeni / For China Daily

The Chinese diplomat spoke in the capital of Monrovia on Nov 24 when the embassy in Liberia donated a consignment of logistics to the Liberian National Police.

He did not give further details about the cooperation agreement between the two countries, but described the donation, which included three vehicles and 10 police escort motorbikes, as a "small token" of support to the West African nation.

The donation is part of China's foreign policy toward preserving world peace and promoting common development, Zhang said. He added that China is continuously supporting Liberia's development. Building human resource capacity would also be an area of focus for support to the local police.

He assured Liberia of China's commitment to sustaining its peace and called for a deepening relationship between the two countries.

Despite 15,000 UN peacekeepers being pulled out of the country, after helping restore order and peace following the civil war in 2003, Chinese forces are still on the ground, buttressing the work of Liberia's police.

The police have often faced logistics constraints, and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said last year that a lack of resources had prevented her government from providing enough support for the security forces.

Receiving the Chinese donation, Gregory Coleman, Liberia's police chief, said it "goes a very long way" in helping the people of the country. "This is not a small token for us, because it is timely. We cannot overstate the need for police visibility in this time," he said.

The donation comes as Liberia is going through a marathon presidential election process, being delayed by a lawsuit filed by one of the opposition candidates, who is alleging "irregularities and fraud" over the results of the first round of voting, held on Oct 10.

Coleman said the items donated would help augment the response capacity of the police and called on the Chinese government to continue its assistance. Fredrick Cherue, Liberia's justice minister, said, "China has always been there for Liberia."

Mentioning ongoing projects sponsored by China - including a $50 million ministerial complex and the extension of the legislative building project - as examples of Beijing's support, Cherue described the Asian nation as a "great friend of Liberia".

For China Daily

African experts are pushing for a continental foreign policy toward China, saying this would make the China-Africa relationship more robust. They say such a policy would not only make Africa's engagements with China sustainable, but also embolden the continent's global participation.

"Without a plan, the continent and governments lack clear strategies for engagement with China," says Bob Wekesa, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

 

Workers sew jeans in a garment factory invested in by a Chinese company in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Li Sibo / Xinhua

"Conversely, you cannot have strategies without an overall policy as a broad and long-term framework. Evidence abounds. China has been successful in implementing the (Forum on China-Africa Cooperation) action plan because the FOCAC action plans are linked to China's policy toward Africa, which is in turn linked to broader Chinese economic and foreign policy positions.

"Africa and African countries have been less successful ... because they do not have a reviewable policy framework that would provide a road map for engagement," says Wekesa.

Toward this end, experts from several African countries met in Johannesburg during the summer for a one-day event with the theme "China-Africa: High time for a common integrated Africa policy on China".

They hope to have a document approved by next year, a deadline that would also coincide with the end of the three-year implementation time frame set for the action plan at the FOCAC Summit in South Africa in 2015.

But progress has faced challenges. "This conversation of having an African policy toward China and international partners has been ongoing for some time now," says Zhou Yuyuan, a senior fellow at the Center for West Asian and African Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.

"There has been some progress on the (African Union) Agenda 2063. ... It is not easy to work out an integrated policy in Africa, because of the diversity of member states," Zhou says.

However, China's engagement with several African countries on the FOCAC platform has given impetus to the experts' push for a continental road map.

In a little more than a decade, China has released two Africa policy white papers. The first, in January 2006, came six years after the launch of FOCAC, while the second was launched right before the Johannesburg Summit in December 2015.

In addition, a recent report by Ernst & Young, "Africa Attractiveness", says China has invested in 293 foreign direct investment projects since 2005 with a total outlay of $66.4 billion, creating 130,750 jobs, which it says makes China the single largest contributor of foreign direct investment and jobs in Africa.

Moreover, China has consistently followed through on its commitments. According to Xiao Yewen, the counselor of the Chinese embassy in South Africa, nearly half of the $60 billion pledged by President Xi Jinping during the 2015 FOCAC Summit has been disbursed.

An initial contribution of $10 billion has been made to the China-Africa Fund for Production Capacity Cooperation, he says, and a special loan for the development of African SMEs has been bolstered with $5 billion of additional funding. Additionally, he said, three infrastructure projects financed and built by China - the Djibouti-Ethiopia railway, the Mombasa-Nairobi railway in Kenya and the Abuja-Kaduna railway in Nigeria - have been completed.

Regarding a continental road map, Xiao says: "A coherent approach would make it easier for Chinese companies to invest and operate across African borders as they seek better markets. The entrepreneurs are looking for opportunities and will be more willing to invest when they are regulated by a single coherent policy rather than 54 governments."

Tawana Kupe, vice-principal at the University of the Witwatersrand, also called for a unified approach. "The China-Africa relationship is of major global interest, and thus it should be handled delicately, as it will be a point of reference in future global relationships. Unfortunately, Africa's attitude has been lackluster, thus making the relationship with China asymmetrical. We need coherency."

Philani Muthembu, the executive director of Institute for Global Dialogue, a foreign policy think tank based in Pretoria, South Africa, says all stakeholders on the continent should become involved in the crafting of a continental foreign policy with China to make it inclusive.

He adds that China's meteoric rise to become the world's second-largest economy makes it a country to be reckoned with.

"China is no longer an emerging power. It already has influence across its borders, and this is visible in Africa. ... We therefore need to build a sustainable and robust relationship with it."

Paul Tembe, a consultant at the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute at the University of South Africa, says African nations have traditionally "adopted an individualistic approach toward China. This means that countries do not share a common approach when engaging with China. For a coherent road map to be developed, the continent has to move away from historical narratives and create a new platform agreed to by all."

Historical ties will be hard to shake off, but countries should learn from successful models, he says. "Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Africa have been successful in their engagements with China. This can be a starting point. Use lessons learned and let us build from there."

Tembe's sentiments echo a recent McKinsey & Co report - "Dance of the lions and dragons: How are Africa and China engaging, and how will the partnership evolve?" - in which researchers found that African countries are successfully engaging with China in diversified ways.

Robust partnerships were found in Ethiopia and South Africa, which have a clear strategic posture toward China, along with a high degree of economic engagement in the form of investment, trade, loans and aid, the report says.

"For example, both countries have translated their national economic development strategies into specific initiatives related to China, and they have also developed important relationships with Chinese provinces in addition to Beijing," it says. "As a result, China sees these African countries as true partners: reliably engaged and strategic for China's economic and political interests."

It called Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania solid partners, but it said they lacked the same level of engagement with China as Ethiopia and South Africa. Although there is visible Chinese investment in these countries, the researchers attributed it to a passive posture and historical ties.

"Much more is possible with true strategic engagement," the report says.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yuyuan of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies notes that Africa already has a common front when dealing with global issues such as climate change, the (United Nations') post-2015 agenda and aid effectiveness.

However, Zhou says, "These are mainly positions, not policies, which are not binding. Second, the influence of the (African Union) and regional communities is not localized. Nevertheless, I think an ideal starting point should be a framework designed at the AU level. This approach typically offers some degree of help to African states to build their lawmaking and enforcement, such as relating to business, tax, investment, labor and environmental issues."

Wekesa, the post-doctoral fellow at the University of Witwatersrand, agrees that Africa's development blueprint, Agenda 2063, offers a template. He adds that although coming up with a continental approach may face hurdles, it might be the best approach.

"The policy can therefore be country-led, regional or continental. They can all exist in harmony. We can look and start from points of convergence or divergence," he says.

For starters, Africa can latch onto China's charm offensive to find its industrial revolution footing, he says. "China's input in Africa is still small, albeit significantly benefiting our economies. There has been a move, even in governmental levels, to bridge the gaps that would ease this engagement. The ground is fertile for a more robust road map."

Yu-Shan Wu, a senior researcher of foreign policy at the South Africa Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg, says industrialization, peace and security, research on sustainable development, innovation and capacity-building are areas of interest for China and Africa alike.

"Most African experts, however, are yet to understand China because of their backgrounds in Western education," she says. "Governments have to use Africans who are Chinese graduates to shape this agenda."

She adds that an African policy should be unique and be able to not only guide engagements with China, but other new and old players as well. "You do not have to replicate what China has done, but come up with an indigenous strategy that strategically positions Africa's comparative advantages. That is the strength you need to leverage with the rest of the world."

lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

This is the latest addition to Beijing's art world, a gallery in the capital's northeastern outskirts, on land where 60 horses used to roam and breed. On a long stretch of lawn stands a two-story white building with 199 pine trees.

Inside the building, visitors have access to a display of nearly 80 oil paintings, sculptures and photos of acclaimed modern Chinese and Western artists. They are from a private collection that has been pulled together over more than 20 years, bought at auctions and art fairs all over the world.

The museum housing this collection is just one of many that have sprung up around China over the past seven years, heralding what seems to be a golden era for Chinese private art collections.

Since a test run at the end of September, the Beijing gallery, Song Art, has been hailed as a small, elegant weekend retreat and as one of the most beautiful private museums in China. In the gallery's name those impressive pines outside find their reflection, song being Chinese for pine.

Just as two souls can argue about whether a painting is a masterpiece or just a mess, it seems the gallery's bucolic setting is not everyone's cup of tea. Some complain that it is just too far removed from the city center, while others gripe that the periodic roar of aircraft taking off or landing at the nearby Beijing Capital Airport is a huge distraction.

Entry is not cheap, either, at 180 yuan ($27; 23 euros; ￡20) for adults - much more expensive than you will pay to get into most public museums in Beijing.

However, the gallery's founder, Wang Zhongjun, says the price is appropriate, given the quality of the works in this "serious palace of art". Premium prices also ensure that the gallery is not too crowded, he says. For him, a museum inundated by people who are only there to take photos or to use the toilet brings itself into disrepute.

Wang, 57, is the chairman of Huayi Brothers Media, one of China's biggest entertainment companies, and over the past decade, the Beijing native has not only done fabulously well financially, but has also amassed great respect in the world of art and auctions.

A regular bidder, he spends millions at auctions to bag Western art, including on works by Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and Alberto Giacometti that are now on display at Song Art. Last year, he co-established an art auction house in Shanghai.

However, Wang is not just an admirer of art but a doer as well. He is a prolific artist working in oils, and his paintings are shown at exhibitions and fairs, as well as being auctioned. At Song Art, a room is dedicated to his works.

Song Art officially opened on Nov 2, and a week later Wang received at the gallery the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, given out each year by the German luxury goods maker in recognition of those who make art and culture more accessible to a wider public. He was among 17 winners worldwide.

"Art is part of my life," Wang says. "And the decision to open a museum was driven by a sudden impulse. Song is not the largest museum there is, but I dare say that it is one of the most inventive artistically."

Fan Di'an, dean of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, says Wang's effort to make his private art collection accessible to the public is commendable, and it is a part of the "social responsibility" that should be promoted as a way to diversify the public's art education.

Private museums and art foundations first appeared in the West in the 1920s, he says, but it has not been until recent years that private museums have been given a boost on the mainland, marking a new phase of what he sees as China's cultural progress.

Song Art's opening has not only given Beijing a new landmark, but has also created a new platform for international exchanges in culture, he says.

Fan, who was the director of the National Art Museum of China in Beijing from 2005 to 2014, says rising art prices everywhere have put many works well beyond the reach of public museums.

"The rise of the entrepreneur-turned-collector has compensated in this field as these people share their artistic assets with the public.

"There is a considerable number of these collections, but, more important, they are gradually building a systematic hierarchy of international art that is absent in the public collections. That is a significant contribution to the broadening of people's vision of global art."

Other new art initiatives of Chinese entrepreneur-collectors include the How Art Museum in Shanghai, opened in September by Zheng Hao, a hotelier who owns another gallery in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, and Powerlong Museum in Shanghai, which is built on the collection of Xu Jiankang, chairman of the real estate company Powerlong Group, who hails from Fujian province.

Myriam and Guy Ullens, a Belgian couple who are avid art collectors, sponsored the building of the country's first nonprofit, privately funded art museum, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, which opened in 2007 in the 798 Art District in Beijing. From its founding, it set an example for Chinese art collectors, whose ranks were being swelled by wealthy entrepreneurs, on how to manage a private cultural institution.

Many private museums were built and opened after 2010, mostly in Beijing and Shanghai, the mainland's two major art centers. Behind this wave stand several deeppocketed collectors who have been successful in business, such as Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei, the couple who founded Long Museum in Shanghai, and Budi Tek, a Chinese Indonesian who opened the Yuz Museum in the city, thus demonstrating his support for contemporary Chinese art.

The art market boom in China after 2010 allowed such wealthy local collectors to scale up and diversify their collections, which have extended from Chinese art and antiques to modern and contemporary Western art.

These collectors have been eager to present their bulging treasure troves to the public in a decent way, and that has been a driving force in the establishment of private museums, says Guan Yu, director of the Art Market Monitor of Atron in Beijing, which is part of the Atron Art Group in Shenzhen.

Owners of the private museums are largely rich and young collectors from well-off families, she says, and they draw great satisfaction from sharing their collections and being able to express their personal tastes in art at the same time.

A report on global private art museums in 2015 jointly compiled by Larry's List, a Hong Kong company that monitors the art market, and Art Market Monitor of Atron, said Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are home to more than 70 percent of China's private museums.

The museums reflect their founders' preferences in collecting art, the report said. They focus on modern and contemporary Chinese art, and oil paintings account for 85 percent of their collections.

Public exposure of works held in a collection is among the top concerns of these museums, so they put on as many exhibitions as possible. China's private museums each put on more than 10 shows a year, so about once a month on average, which is much more than that of many private museums elsewhere, the report said.

Besides rotating the works of their owners that are put on display, these museums have also served as a launchpad for emerging Chinese artists and a platform for international artists.

The second exhibition of an art project called Shanghai Galaxy is now on display at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai, featuring works through which the metropolis's development in art is explored, something that the museum's managers hope will enhance its ties with local residents.

The Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing, owned by real estate developer and collector Yan Shijie, now features two solo exhibitions of the US artists Dan Graham and Andres Serrano.

In fact, private museums have become the main venues of leading international artists' debut shows in China. Featured artists recently have included the Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti, the British artist Antony Gormley and the US artist James Turrell.

However, mounting these grand exhibitions has also put huge financial pressures on museums, which rely heavily on funding from founders as well as donations.

A museum as large as Long in Shanghai and the UCCA cost $5 million (4.2 million euros; ￡3.8 million) a year to run, and making money is something most museums can only dream of, the global private art museum report said.

In addition to revenue from ticket sales, gift shops, cafes and restaurants, some museums looking to cover their costs, or to do even better, put on educational programs for children and adults for which they charge a fee.

Guan of Art Market Monitor of Atron says that about 85 percent of private museums it interviewed said they hope for more help from the government, such as tax breaks and well-thought-out rules on the establishment of art foundations.

Du Jingwei, deputy director of Long Museum, says private museums also need to explore new development patterns so they can make profits.

linqi@chinadaily.com.cn

A lot has been achieved from China-Africa cooperation, says Xiao Yewen, counselor of the Chinese embassy in South Africa.

Since the second summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2015, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, the two sides have recorded significant success in various spheres that complement the spirit of win-win cooperation, he says.

"Pragmatic cooperation in particular has resulted in early harvests," he says, adding that the first quarter of 2017 saw a surge in trade volume, which has reached $38.8 billion - 16.8 percent growth year-on-year.

Data shows that China is Africa's leading trading partner, while the continent is the third-largest investment destination and the second-largest contract engineering market for China. More than 3,000 Chinese enterprises have invested in Africa, with more than $100 billion in gross assets.

Xiao says statistics show that since the summit, 127 China-supported projects with a total value of $22.4 billion have been put into operation, creating about 122,000 jobs; 384 projects with a value of $51.5 billion are under construction, creating about 87,000 jobs; and 95 program-cooperation agreements worth $34.6 billion have been signed.

Moreover, special economic zones and industrial parks have sprouted up in the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Egypt.

"China has also trained 100,000 technical personnel and provided 20,000 government scholarships to Africa," Xiao says. "More important, the $60 billion in funding support has led to hundreds of billions of dollars' investment and financing cooperation from China, which contributes a lot to Africa's employment and economy."

He says that South Africa, the summit co-chair, has been proactive in implementing the agreements. This has led to an increase in trade volume, which reached $35.3 billion last year, with Chinese investment in South Africa, the largest African economy, reaching about $13 billion. "China-South Africa cooperation has become a model for the continent," says the counselor.

Private and public partnerships alike have flourished. Last year, Beijing Automobile Group BAIC and Yangtze Optical Fiber and Cable Co set up factories in the country, and they are expected to generate jobs, thus easing the government's burden. Additionally, Chinese companies are participating in the building of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone.

"As a major step forward in the implementation of the outcomes of FOCAC, the China-South Africa High Level People-to-People Exchange Mechanism was inaugurated in April. It is the first such high-level intergovernmental platform between China and Africa aimed at promoting people-to-people exchanges, which is another milestone in the growth of the China-Africa relationship," Xiao says.

He predicts that the two partners will desire stronger momentum and prosperity for their peoples. "As an important direction and goal for the Belt and Road Initiative, Africa is well positioned to conduct more strategic and practical cooperation with China in a larger landscape," he says.

China is willing to work closely with the continent to pragmatically combine the 10 major China-Africa cooperation plans and Belt and Road with the African Union's Agenda 2063, focusing on promoting industrial alignment and capacity cooperation as well as opening new dimensions for business cooperation.

Mahdi Basadien, the director for China at the Department of International Cooperation in South Africa, confirms that the African country has seriously followed up on its implementation of the FOCAC agreements. He says South Africa will finalize projects by the end of FOCAC's three-year implementation period, and the achievements are visible.

He also says the country is finalizing the process to export beef products to China. This offers a lucrative opportunity for South Africa, which is under pressure to diversify from the commodities market.

In 2015, the production of beef in South Africa amounted to around 740,000 tons. At least 25 tons was exported at a value of $25 million, government statistics show.

Paul Tembe, a consultant at the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute and a Sinologist, says that for Africa to effectively access China's vast market, it first needs to understand Chinese culture. Tembe says that over the years, China has forged a new model of engagement with Africa.

The new Navy logistics base in Djibouti is one example. "China committed to promote peace in Africa, and the base strengthens this resolve, since it meets its global responsibilities such as by participating in maritime patrols against piracy in the Horn of Africa and increasing personnel serving under UN peacekeeping missions," says Xiao.

lucymorangi@chinadail.com.cn

Kartik Jayaram says Africa is China's $440 billion business opportunity.

The 42-year-old is one of the co-authors of "Dance of the Lions and Dragons", a report by management consultants McKinsey& Co that cites this figure as the revenue that could be generated within a decade by Chinese companies working on the continent.

"Our study reveals the sheer scale of engagement. What we have been able to do is dig deeper. There have been no real large-scale studies," he says.

Kartik Jayaram, senior partner of McKinsey & Co in Nairobi. Provided to China Daily

"There is a huge discrepancy on at least what we are seeing anecdotally on the ground versus what we saw from the databases that already existed."

The report is perhaps the most comprehensive analysis to date of the economic relationship between China and the rapidly emerging continent.

Apart from the contributions of Jayaram, senior partner in McKinsey's Nairobi office, the report is also the work of Omid Kassiri, another Nairobi partner, and Irene Yuan Sun, engagement manager in the company's Washington office. Sun is also the author of the book The Next Factory of the World: How Chinese Investment Is Reshaping Africa.

Published earlier this year, the McKinsey report involved the collaboration of some 1,500 people across the continent. It also received support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

One of its main conclusions is that the revenues of Chinese companies will grow from $180 billion today to $440 billion by 2025 if they continue to expand aggressively.

To achieve this, they will have to move into five new sectors, including banking and insurance, housing and information communications technology, according to the report.

Jayaram, speaking from Nairobi, says another key finding was that there are about 10,000 Chinese companies operating on the continent - 90 percent of them in the private sector - and that all previous research had greatly underestimated this figure.

"We had a small team of researchers literally going to individual countries and almost doing detective work," he says.

"In one country, there were nine times more companies than had previously been picked up by other databases, such as those of trade associations. The average was three to four times more across a range of countries than had previously been estimated."

Jayaram says that one of the conclusions to draw from this was that the operations of Chinese companies are perhaps the most important engagement that the world's second-largest economy now has with Africa.

"The focus has been on government-to-government lending, the infrastructure deals and whether this is a neo-colonial engagement," he says.

Of the Chinese companies in Africa, nearly a third (31 percent) are involved in manufacturing, with 25 percent in services, 22 percent in trade and 15 percent in construction and real estate.

Chinese companies, in fact, make up around 12 percent of Africa's total manufacturing production of around $500 billion.

Jayaram says the findings are a strong rebuttal to those who think that Chinese manufacturing in Africa begins and ends with Huajian, the Chinese shoemaker, based just outside Addis Ababa, which is sometimes held up as a solitary success story.

"It is actually quite tragic that people think that. The presence of Chinese manufacturing firms is quite consistent across countries, with the proportion of Chinese companies being involved in manufacturing above 30 percent in most of them," he says.

Jayaram says another striking feature is that most Chinese manufacturing in Africa is there to serve the local, and not the international, market.

"They are coming to serve the domestic market because there is a huge shortage of manufacturing on the continent. Ethiopia is the exception here, with companies in its industrial parks serving the European and US markets.

"The development of manufacturing in Africa is therefore very different from the way China developed after reform and opening-up, when it mainly sold goods to international markets."

Nearly a third (30 percent) of the 1,000 Chinese companies surveyed for the report said they had profit margins of more than 20 percent, and around half make significant investment decisions in less than a month.

"No Western company could do things at that pace. One of the reasons why it is profitable to manufacture here is that there is a significant price premium on certain goods, with prices 30 to 50 percent higher than in the West," adds Jayaram.

The report also seems to undermine those who argue that Chinese companies only employ Chinese labor. Nearly nine out of 10(89 percent) of the employees of companies surveyed were African, which equates to 300,000 jobs.

Nearly two-thirds of the companies say they provide skills training and 44 percent of the managers are African.

"You hear all these stories of Chinese labor being sent here. There is so much hype and anxiety around this stuff. If you go to any construction site in Africa, you will see one or two Chinese people and 20 Africans," he says.

"So many Chinese workers are on expat packages and you have to send them back and forth. It is just too expensive to use mainly Chinese labor."

Jayaram, who has had a long engagement with both China and Africa, has been based in Nairobi for three years and now leads McKinsey's Africa Delivery Hub, aimed at helping governments and social institutions deliver the commitments they make.

Originally from Delhi, he studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee before getting an MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a master's in operations research from the University of North Carolina.

He joined McKinsey in 2000 and has had a number of roles, many of them involving working with private Chinese companies, some of them multinationals.

He says McKinsey decided to do the report because there was a lack of concrete information about what was becoming a major geopolitical trend.

"We clearly noticed the big phenomenon that was happening. We had clients asking questions and they literally couldn't find any facts, so that is how it started," he says.

"We invested in the original research and then partnered with the Gates Foundation, who supported us with their connections and their intellectual capital, and some financing for the researchers we hired."

The report clearly shows how the economic relationship accelerated after the turn of the century. China-Africa trade increased from $13 billion in 2001 to $188 billion in 2015 - an annual average growth rate of 21 percent. Trade between Africa and China is now triple that of Africa's next biggest trade partner.

The increase in foreign direct investment has been even greater, rising from $1 billion in 2004 to $35 billion in 2015, an average annual growth rate of 40 percent.

It is estimated to have reached $49 billion in 2016.

At this rate, it will have the largest stock of FDI in Africa of any country, and this means it will overtake countries such as the United Kingdom, which had $71 billion of FDI in 2014, despite the former colonial power having two centuries of engagement with the continent. The United States, with $79 billion of FDI in 2014, will also be eclipsed.

"The growth of China's engagement over the past 10 to 15 years has just been phenomenal. Chinese companies are also winning a lot of World Bank and African Development Bank projects because, quite frankly, they are very competitive and they are the most cost-effective."

The report concludes with what a Chinese businessman, who had spent more than 40 years in Nigeria, told Jayaram over a lengthy dinner.

"He said: There is a wise saying in Yoruba: Should I wash my left hand or my right hand? The answer is that the right hand should wash the left, and the left hand should wash the right. That is the way to do things. Africa is one hand; China is the other. Working together is the way to do things."

Jayaram believes this sums up the potential of the relationship between China and Africa.

Nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of the Chinese companies in the survey were optimistic about their future in Africa.

"We do think this can be a wonderful partnership. We do think both sides need to do more, to make sure it is a long-term sustainable partnership, but we do believe that this can be achieved," adds Jayaram.

andrewmoody@chinadaily.com.cn

A China-Africa dialogue forum, known as the Africa-China Reporting Project, hosted a symposium earlier this year on a common integrated African policy on China. It was held at Witwatersrand University in South Africa in July with the aim of working toward a common African policy on China and was sponsored by the Institute for Global Dialogue associated with the University of South Africa, and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, a German political foundation.

The symposium, with the theme "China-Africa: High time for a common integrated African policy on China", sought to conceptualize policies for the continent, from the continent. It featured a number of experts on Africa-China relations and several think tanks. In line with increasing calls for a unified African policy and strategy, the symposium presented a platform to critically examine the prospects for a pan-African policy and strategy to guide the continent's engagement with China.

Colonialism had social, economic and political impacts, including the introduction of Christianity. For instance, many Africans were forced to learn the languages of their colonial masters, such as English, French and Portuguese. Their land was also seized by Europeans to establish plantations for the growing of cash crops for their home countries, which had little or no benefit to local populations. As a result, African culture was diluted, traditions were taken away and their ways of life were destroyed and replaced by those of the colonialists.

Consequently, and because of other historical factors, we now have a continent of 54 sovereign states and more than 2,000 languages, including English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Afrikaans and Spanish. There are also numerous indigenous religions and practices in addition to Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. This has left Africa fragmented and highly balkanized, based largely on external models, and the ensuing conflicts have often led to humanitarian tragedies of traumatized and displaced populations.

The discourse on whether an African policy on China should be common or individual is therefore just one of the numerous issues that African states need to confront. These include the fact that there are a number of competing, overlapping and divergent regional bodies in Africa. For instance, there is the Tripartite Free Trade Area, which covers 26 African countries alongside 17 other trade blocs. The TFTA aims to join up three of them, namely the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

This brings into question whether policy should be made individually by each of the 54 states on the African continent or collectively, despite the fact that China has already formulated two policies on Africa as a single entity.

During the symposium, it was argued that each African state should come up with an individual policy, and the idea of a common African policy was questioned, the argument being that African states have very little in common and policies should look beyond engagement through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The 2015 Johannesburg Summit and sixth Ministerial FOCAC Conference marked the 15th year since the initiation of the FOCAC mechanism in 2000, and nearly a decade since the Beijing Summit of 2006.

In this respect, policy formulation should go beyond government level, with policy researchers across the continent coordinating more with one another. In fact, it was argued, many African states, including Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Egypt, do not even have foreign policy documents, limiting their ability to have individual policies on China, let alone a common Africa-China policy. Furthermore, the narrative of China as an emerging nation should stop, since China is a superpower. However, a common policy is desirable and a homogenous African policy on China can exist, despite the fact that African states are so diverse in all aspects. In addition, Africa should also look beyond the Africa-China economic partnership into areas such as culture and people-to-people engagement. Since Africa remains diverse, it may not be easy, due to other factors and historical ties, to come up with a policy soon.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has been seeking to consolidate the African agenda on Africa-China engagement, particularly in respect of greater collaboration with the outcomes of Africa's Agenda 2063. Accordingly, the second FOCAC Summit adopted two outcome documents, the Johannesburg Declaration and the Johannesburg Action Plan (2016-18), laying out comprehensive plans for Africa-China relations and practical cooperation for the next three years through a range of new ideas and policies.

At next year's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, African states plan to present the African common policy on China. Meanwhile a workable platform for a common integrated Africa-China policy remains both challenging and elusive, with only modest progress recorded thus far.

The author is director of the Center for Strategic Policy Management at API. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Economic development is what China lost before the 1980s, as well as what China has achieved most since the 1980s. This sharp contrast is indicative that China understands the meaning of development, which is enshrined as developmentalism - that is to say, development is the answer to all problems of political, social, cultural and human development, as well as peace and stability.

This understanding is also being practiced in Africa regarding its enduring conflict and insecurity, with the paradigm of developmental peace. This paradigm has been the mainstream of China's position on security threats in African countries over the past decades.

However, like peace without development, development without peace will also be problematic, which has offered lessons from the Libyan crisis since 2011. Since 2012, at the FOCAC Beijing Summit, held one year after the breakout of the Libya crisis, China began to adjust its approach toward African peace and security. It initiated the "China-African Peace and Security Cooperation Partnership" at the 2012 FOCAC Summit and voiced "China's approach on hot spot African issues", and special representatives of the Chinese government on African affairs visited the continent frequently on mediation missions. It also upgraded peace and security cooperation as one of the Five Pillars of China-African Cooperation.

These initiatives demonstrate that China is showing great importance to the African security issue, and a clear picture of China's peace engagement in Africa can be discerned.

First, regarding the importance of development, security will be the very determinant of China's peaceful engagement with Africa. Generally speaking, development and security are being regarded as two sides of one coin. When investing in the economic, social and development areas, China will consider its security challenge and impact, including both the positive and the negative aspects. On the other hand, China will invest more in solving Africa's security problems to create a conducive environment for African development.

Second, China's engagement in African peace and security is mainly through indirect rather than direct ways. The agenda of Africa peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building is mainly set up by the United Nations, the African Union, regional communities and African countries themselves. China will mainly concentrate its support on UN peacekeeping operations, African solutions, peace support operations in Africa and the peace capacity building of Africa countries.

Third, African demand, solutions, ownership and leadership will be the core principles shaping China's engagement in African peace and security. It is quite important to read from China's thinking on African ownership. On the one hand, the negative results of Western powers' intervention in Somalia, Libya and Syria, for example, have taught lessons to China. On the other hand, Africa doesn't lack the knowledge and wisdom to solve its own conflicts and security issues, but rather lacks the capability to transfer this knowledge and wisdom into agenda-setting, because of its financial, personnel and technical barriers. So it is crucial to support Africa's ownership and leadership under an African agenda, rather than under an agenda set up by outsiders. Regarding this, China strongly supports African solutions to African problems.

Last but not least important, China will maintain its noninterference policy but will also attempt to explore the appropriate way of contributing. It is clear that China will not set up its own agenda on intervening in the peace and security issues in Africa as well as other regions. However, China will probably react to these security challenges upon the request of African countries and international community, such as escorts in the Gulf of Aden and support to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development on its mediation efforts in South Sudan. Recently, China has been expressing the will to mediate the conflict between Djibouti and Eritrea, but China will only engage based on the consensus and request from these two countries.

Looking ahead, direct development intervention and indirect peace intervention will be two lines of China's engagement on African peace and security. In the areas of development investment that are vital to eradicating the roots of instability, and in post-conflict building - especially the urgent needs of quick impact projects - China can contribute more through its development peace approach.

The author is a senior fellow at the Center for West Asian and African Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Despite low internet penetration and lack of infrastructure in much of Africa, the fourth Industrial Revolution promises to bring opportunities to Africa that will increase the continent's participation on the global stage.

In fact, experts say, these deficiencies could offer a springboard for the continent to leapfrog other regions that have been struggling to catch up.

Chinese tech company Huawei Technologies Co tests Africa's first 4.5G network in Namibia in April 2016. Namibian President Hage Geingob (second from left) attended to witness the tests. Wu Changwei / Xinhua

The fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact was extensively discussed during the World Economic Forum in Dalian, China, in late July. It is characterized by the adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing and nanotechnology to increase efficiency and improve living standards.

Fast internet connectivity and a large number of users with access to it are crucial factors that Africa still lacks. According to Internet World Stats, there were an estimated 388 million users in Africa in June this year - 31.2 percent penetration - representing 10 percent of total world users. This compares with the world average of 51.7 percent penetration.

"We have only recently rolled out 4G technology," says Abdoulkarim Soumaila, secretary-general of the African Telecommunications Union, adding that many countries are still using 2G and 3G. "Deployment of this technology depends on the needs of individual economies. Some countries only have 15 percent of their population accessing the internet," says Soumaila from his offices in Nairobi, Kenya.

He says development of IT infrastructure in Africa has been held back by a lack of energy resources. Statistics show that the continent has an average electrification rate of 24 percent, while the rate in the rest of the developing world is closer to 40 percent.

"Most operators have had to develop independent power installations to complement and boost their reach. In some countries, transport infrastructure is poor but fiber cables have been laid," says Soumaila. "This has catalyzed development in some rural areas, thus bringing the population closer to accessing government services."

He credits these developments to Chinese-based telecommunication companies such as Huawei and ZTE, which have been instrumental in the development of this infrastructure, particularly in Kenya.

"The IT sector has been dominated by the private sector. This has reduced inefficiencies. It has also fueled innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in Africa's youthful population."

Erik Hersman, a renowned technologist and the brains behind iHub, one of the first IT incubation companies in Kenya, says the low internet penetration rate in Africa offers a big consumer market for Chinese companies.

"At first glance, you'd think that with low internet penetration this would leave Africa as a whole far behind. Though we are behind on some of the core infrastructure for the internet, and behind on the percentage of people online compared with the rest of the world, we're starting to see how new technologies like (internet of things, artificial intelligence and virtual reality) will come into their own here.

"For instance, at BRCK (a hardware company at which he is CEO), we've been working for two years in the IoT space with our sensor connectivity device. It turns out that there are a number of medium-sized and large organizations that need to track expensive equipment, agricultural environments, water issues and many other things. All of this requires the internet. It's available now and these companies are willing to pay for it. As this data continues to grow, AI will have a great amount of influence by enabling better, faster and smarter decisions."

He says great attention will need to be paid to the education sector to prepare the young population for emerging jobs created by the fourth Industrial Revolution.

According to Bernard Shibwabo, research director on the information technology faculty at Strathmore University, Kenya, the IT divide between developed and developing countries is small.

"With new technologies, in countries such as South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya, where there are fast internet speeds, it is simpler to learn and adopt when it comes to hardware. There is no gap. Africa is ready to face the new technology wave."

While conceding that Africa has unique challenges compared with developed markets, he says this has enabled the continent to develop unique solutions that have been embraced and adopted globally. "The best example still remains the mobile money transfer platform. This has, in addition, offered more job opportunities, despite being disruptive."

He says Africa will not grapple with challenges such as infrastructure, but will instead be able to develop solutions around them. He points to the use of drones in transporting lifesaving blood to remote areas in Rwanda that have been cut off by harsh terrain. "Africa will soon become a big consumer market for China's technology. This means that we will see more trade between the two partners. Moreover, the continent may satisfy China's appetite for cutting-edge innovation."

lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

The congress is devoid of the hysteria and the public displays of political partisanship that Africans have become accustomed to seeing in the Western democracies. It is, however, instructive and noteworthy to observe that the rigid avoidance of fanfare and open displays of razzmatazz during the pivotal twice-a-decade political transitions in China has not affected the development of policies that have led to real economic transformation within the country. In fact, Xi referred to this period as "a decisive stage in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and a critical moment as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era", thereby underscoring the meaningful recent strides the nation has undertaken toward becoming an enviable, undisputed global leader in the foreseeable near future. This is a compound idea based on a comprehensive model that is increasingly garnering interest and currency in Africa and the rest of the world.

For instance, the vision outlined by Xi at his report to the National Congress builds on the progress that has been made in lifting more than 600 million Chinese citizens out of poverty over the past two decades, with the expectation that those remaining will be free of poverty over the coming years.

How this has been achieved is of particular significance to Africa, which is combating the same scourge with less-than-satisfactory outcomes. In addition, the disruptions we encounter during African transitional politics - in the form of conflict, exorbitant government spending, loss of limb and life in election-related violence and economic upheaval at the expense of development - could probably be avoided by borrowing from the Chinese visionary model. As outlined during the 19th National Congress, this strategic vision in the "new era" calls for finishing the building of "a moderately prosperous society in all respects" and proceeding to "basically realize modernization, and then move on to turn China into a great modern socialist country in every dimension".

Outside of China, and of great import to Africa, is that following this congress, many of the initiatives that have come to fruition under Xi's watch, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the BRICS Plus initiative, will be sustained and upscaled over the next five years. This is good news for Africa particularly, due to the fact that all of these initiatives have, by and large, had a positive effect on the socioeconomic development of Africa.

FOCAC has been instrumental in forging a sustainable China-Africa cooperation agenda in a relationship that is also supportive of Africa's homegrown development plan as set out in the African Union's Agenda 2063. Furthermore, China's commitment to Africa is best epitomized by the fact that the African Union headquarters was built and donated by the Chinese as a place to bring together the continent's 54 member countries to deliberate on development. There are also clear synergies with the Belt and Road Initiative that support the greater part of the AU's agenda on connectivity, and a number of countries, such as Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Egypt, are for all intents and purposes part of the initiative. Other African countries, such as Mozambique, have overtly expressed interest in being part of this plan and China has responded, at least rhetorically, in favor of their inclusion.

Of notable significance is the fact that two African heads of state, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, were among 28 world leaders invited to the 2017 Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May in Beijing, whose theme was "strengthening international cooperation and co-building the Belt and Road for win-win development". Egypt and Kenya were also invited by Xi in September to Beijing among the five countries that constitute his BRICS Plus understudies to accelerate their socioeconomic development.

BRICS Plus is poised to create a useful new platform for communication among developing countries and establish good bridges of interaction on various mutually beneficial opportunities. These initiatives constitute the kind of "win-win" cooperation we expect from the world's indisputable leader of globalization and developmental peace in Xi's "new era" that includes Africa as a key a close friend and development partner.

The author is the director of the Africa Policy Institute. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Latest data from the World Economic Forum's global competitive report 2017-18 indicates that the Chinese mainland is steadily pushing forward its global economic competitiveness, while Hong Kong and Taiwan are making huge gains in a difficult global market.

Although the mainland maintained its place as the largest market in size for the past three years and continues enjoying robust economic growth, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region made a significant leap up the ranks from ninth last year to sixth. It is now ahead of Sweden (seventh), the United Kingdom (eighth) and Japan (ninth).

Kenya inaugurated its diesel-powered standard gauge railway from the port city of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi. Sun Ruibo / Xinhua

"It has made the largest leap among the top 10 economies, which in turn are supported by strong and stable financial markets," says the report. It attributes the large leap to the mainland's physical infrastructure and healthy level of competition and openness, which it says ensure efficient markets.

The report also praises Hong Kong's labor market, which is highly flexible and efficient, and an advanced macroeconomic environment that slightly lowered its inflation rate last year.

The Geneva-based WEF's report attributes the Chinese mainland's overall competitive score to gains made in technological readiness, occasioned by higher information and communication technology penetration and the extent to which foreign direct investment has been bringing new technology to the country.

However, greater investment in the sector is encouraged to push forward productivity that has been slowing down in the Asian region, it says. China presented the best case study, it adds.

"For instance, greater access to mobile technology in China has fostered the expansion of the 'sharing economy', which is expected to reach 10 percent of GDP by 2020," the report says.

The Chinese mainland is ahead of India and Indonesia in technology and innovation. However, Brazil and Turkey, which according to the report showed great potential in the early 2000s, have lost ground.

"Other sources confirm the growing importance of China and India as centers of innovation. In a recent study on which geographical clusters are generating the most patents, Shenzhen-Hong Kong comes in second place - between Tokyo-Yokohama and San Jose-San Francisco - while Beijing comes in seventh. In both cases, activity is concentrated in the field of digital communications.

Three Indian locations appear in the top 100 of the cluster study: Bengaluru at 43rd (with patent activity focused on computer technology), Mumbai at 95th and Pune at 96th (both registering among the most patents in organic fine chemistry), the report says.

Taiwan was ranked 15th overall, ranking high on innovation.

The Global Competitiveness Report 2016-17 assesses the competitiveness landscape of 137 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their productivity and prosperity.

Meanwhile, despite subdued economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa, its countries recorded slight improvements in their overall competitiveness.

Experts attribute this to recent infrastructure expansion, especially in countries that have strong Chinese presence - Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. The report also notes improvement in health, technological readiness and business sophistication.

Including Senegal, the report praises the four countries for improving their performance for five consecutive years since 2010.

"The most improved African countries year-on-year are Madagascar (121st, up seven places), Gambia (117th, up six), Kenya (91st, up five), and Senegal (106th, up six), thanks either to an improved macroeconomic environment (Madagascar and Senegal) or to the efficiency of goods, labor, and financial markets (Gambia and, to a lesser extent, Kenya), the report says.

Tanzania moved up three places, from 116th last year to 113th, while Uganda retained its position at 113th.

"These are countries we have seen strengthen their trade and investment relations with China over the recent past, particularly in the infrastructure sector. I am sure that the expansion and modernization projects that have recently been completed have ultimately improved the region's attractiveness to foreign direct investment," says Robert Kagiri, director for the Centre for Strategy and Policy Management at the Africa Policy Institute, an economic policy think-tank based in Kenya.

In October last year, Ethiopia launched an electric train service that links its capital, Addis Ababa, with the Red Sea port of Djibouti. Kenya inaugurated its diesel-powered standard gauge railway from the port city of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi. It is expected to extend to Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kagiri says that China's policy in areas such as trade, climate change, politics and security has seen countries in Africa, which agree with President Xi Jinping's vision, align themselves closely with China.

"The East African countries that have seen remarkable improvements, such as Kenya and Ethiopia, host mega infrastructures partly funded and wholly developed by the Chinese. This has not only significantly bridged Africa's infrastructure deficit, but has strategically positioned these countries' economies to benefit from China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative," says Kagiri.

The Global Competitiveness Report ranking is based on the Global Competitiveness Index, which was introduced by the WEF in 2005. Defining competitiveness as the set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country, GCI scores are calculated by drawing together country-level data covering 12 categories - the pillars of competitiveness - that collectively make up a comprehensive picture of a country's competitiveness. The 12 pillars are: institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, health and primary education, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, labor market efficiency, financial market development, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication and innovation.

lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

China has given $13 million to Tanzania to support its key sectors of education, tourism and sports, with the aim of boosting the country's economy.

Up to $10 million of this will be used to support the construction of a new vocational training center in the Kagera Region of northwest Tanzania.

James Doto, Tanzania's permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, says the money will be used to construct 19 classrooms that can accommodate 400 students and nine training workshops for building capacity in electronics, plumbing, carpentry, masonry and painting.

China's Acting Ambassador to Tanzania, Gou Haodong and Tanzania's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning James Doto during the signing of the $13 million agreement in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Chris Mabeya / China Daily

"This support from China complements efforts by the government to provide the vocational skills needed for people to actively participate in the manufacturing sector," says Doto.

"The beneficiaries will then be able take part in entrepreneurial activities and contribute to addressing the challenge of unemployment in our country."

There will also be technical and financial support for the China-aided National Stadium.

"This will be the sixth phase of technical cooperation, which the government of China has been providing since the construction of the 60,000 seat stadium," says Doto.

In addition, funds will enable Chinese experts to undertake a feasibility study for the establishment of the Geopark Project in Ngorongoro National Park. This will be the second in Africa - after one in Morocco - and the first south of the Sahara.

One of the successful outcomes of the UNESCO Global Geopark Initiative was the Yuntaishan World Geopark in Jiaozuo, Henan province, which was established in 2000, leading to an annual tourism increase of 37.2 percent.

According to Freddy Manongi, Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority conservator, tourists from China, South Korea, Japan and other Asian countries enjoy seeing landscapes, mountains, caves, gorges and other geological features of the type found found at the Geopark Project.

"We are indeed proud of the assistance from China, which has remained reliable even during the most challenging times," says Gou Haodong, China's acting ambassador to Tanzania, adding that China will continue cooperating with Tanzania on enhancing tourism, sports and education to encourage economic development.

"Through projects, for example in tourism, we will be happy to see more Chinese visiting Tanzania to see attractive places like Ngorongoro. We are also the largest investor in sports for ongoing improvement of the National Stadium."

Tourism is crucial for Tanzania's economy, contributing a quarter of the country's foreign exchange and supporting more than half a million jobs directly or indirectly.

In 2004, then Chinese president Hu Jintao agreed with then Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa to aid Tanzania's tourism. In March 2013, President Xi Jinping took up the matter with former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete and agreed to make Tanzania a leading destination for Chinese tourists.

In education, China has offered 700 scholarships for young Tanzanians to study in China. So far, 7,000 have gained degrees in many disciplines.

According to data from the Tanzania Investment Centre, Chinese aid to the country increased to $7 billion in 2017 from $700 million in 2015, a tenfold increase.

Chinese investment has not only contributed to local tax revenue and job creation, but has also brought high technology, efficient management and high-quality products to Tanzania. It is expected that Chinese investment in Tanzania will continue to grow, and collaboration on manufacturing, construction, aviation, agriculture and energy is also likely to boom.

It is hoped that Chinese-invested projects will help to improve Tanzania's dream of upgrading its economic and social development and industrialization, making it a middle-income country by 2025.

Major projects with Chinese investment include the natural gas pipeline from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam.

For China Daily

After arriving, he led his team to construct many government buildings and won the contract to build the 135-meter-high twin towers, the highest building in Brazzaville, in 2014.

The twin-tower building, known as the commercial center in Brazzaville, is the result of a government cooperation agreement signed by the Chinese and Congolese governments in 2014 when President Denis Sassou Nguesso visited Beijing.

The building is beside the Congo River, which made it difficult to lay a foundation. After studying the geological structures of the foundation bed, the company laid 431 piles with a range of 26 to 32 meters deep under the ground. Each pile is able to support 2,200 tons. Above ground, a 6-meter high basement was built.

In seven months, a solid foundation bed was constructed. In February last year, the company started to build the basement. On Aug 11 this year, the building reached its designed height.

The building was constructed while the Republic of the Congo, an oil producer in Central Africa, was suffering from an economic downturn due to the oil price drop in the international market. Some projects under construction were forced to be suspended.

While visiting the project on August 14, one day before the Republic of Congo's national day, Jean Jacques Bouya, minister of the Ministry of Land Development and Major Works, said: "If the project of the commercial center is still going on, it means other projects are also going on. The center will help foster new emerging enterprises and be a cradle for young people to start their businesses."

Fifteen floors of one of the 30-story twin towers will be used as a hotel, and the other 15 will be serviced apartments. The other tower will be used as an office building.

The building is now the highest in the capital city, according to Nie Tieli, the construction company's director-general. "Total investment for the project is $380 million, of which 15 percent is from the Congolese government and 85 percent is loans from the Export-Import Bank of China."

Simon Delair of Apave International, the French company supervising the project, says: "What impressed me is the quality of concrete used for the towers. We have labs here and held many tests. Each time, the result is like what it should get."

Now that the twin towers have reached their designed height, the project is about one-third completed, says Nie.

"We will create a record in height and quality in the construction of landmark architecture in the capital city, even though the building has nine curves of different sizes on each floor, which are difficult to build," he adds.

"We did have some difficulties as the country encountered economic problems," Nie says. "However, we must keep on because it is a cooperative project between the two governments."

Nie began working in Brazzaville 18 years ago, and in the ensuing years he led his team to be engaged in more than 20 projects in the country.

To honor his special contribution to the country, the Congolese president conferred on him the Medal of Officer on July 17 in honor of his merits to the country.

"I feel it is not only the recognition of my work here in the country, but also an honor of my team and Beijing Construction Engineering Group," he says.

panzhongming@chinadaily.com.cn

It is therefore of great concern that in the recently released statistics by Statistics SA on poverty and inequality in South Africa, the North West province remains among the most affected. Between 2001 and 2016, the province ranked between No 4 and No 7 in terms of levels of equality and development.

The leadership of the province has decided to act decisively to change this situation. We cannot continue to lament weak economic growth, lack of jobs, poor levels of education or the fact that our young people are becoming increasingly restless due to the lack of opportunities.

We have looked at our competitive advantages to put together a plan for development, job creation and investment. Our competitive offerings to domestic and international investors include our easy access to Gauteng, as well as regional markets of Botswana and Namiba. As a province, we also contribute 5.7 percent of national outputs to key economic sectors including mining, agriculture and manufacturing.

Yet at the same time, we cannot ignore the deep levels of poverty and inequality in the province, including the fact that 65 percent of it is rural with a low economic base.

Our citizens are emphatic in expressing their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in the province through actions including increasingly frequent and violent service delivery protests.

We in the City of Matlosana, the largest city in the province, have assembled a team to put together bankable projects which can attract domestic and international investment. Through this we are confident we will be able to elevate the levels of development in the province while creating jobs which will directly impact on the socio-economic conditions of our people.

These projects was presented at the inaugural Matlosana Trade and Investment Conference from Oct 11 to 13 at the Rio Hotel Casino and Convention Resort Klerksdorp, North West province.

In looking to revitalize our socioeconomic levels, and as we collectively grapple with the as-yet-unknown impact of the fourth industrial revolution which will mean more mechanization, we must begin to look at economic development through a much broader lens.

We are therefore looking to position the province differently in the areas of manufacturing and mining, infrastructure, green economy, agriculture and agro-processing, tourism, and transport infrastructure development opportunities.

With this forward-looking lens in mind, we have made available land to develop an industrial park which aims to become a hub offering affordable industrial space for small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition to traditional areas of economic activity, including mining and manufacturing, we would like to see the park host companies who are able to contribute to metal beneficiation (ferrous and non-ferrous metals), agro-processing and solar geyser manufacturing, manufacturing of mining tools and apparel, and machinery in support of the mining companies in the area.

We have also identified the opportunity to develop the N12 Treasure Route, which would connect communities to the economic hub of Matlosana City. Among other benefits, better road infrastructure would make it easier for citizens to access employment opportunities and other services in Matlosana City.

Housing is also crucial the wellbeing of our people and the Isago Development aims to address the current housing backlog while providing wide-ranging business opportunities in the area.

To enhance our connectivity to the country, we have also identified the upgrading of the airport infrastructure. This will also support the transportation of cargo produced at the industrial park and elsewhere in the province.

With a view to leveraging existing opportunities for the future, we have put together a project producing biodiesel from sunflowers, 79 percent of which come from in the North West province and the Free State. Sunflowers have been identified as ideal for the South African climate and biodiesel is a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuel.

Heritage tourism in the province can build on South Africa's strong tourist appeal. Identified projects include the development of the Goudkoppie Theme Park at the site where gold was first discovered. Another exciting project would include the reconstruction of the house where Bishop Desmond Tutu was born, as well as the building of a shelter and home for the destitute. Through this we can also contribute to honoring our living heritage.

The need to ensure our young people are drawn into the mainstream of society and the economy has never been as important. We have therefore included in our plans to revitalize the economy of the City of Matlosana in particular, and the province in general, the establishment of a tertiary institution.

The magnitude of the sentiment expressed by Lehohla should inspire us as leaders who are tasked with ensuring the implementation of the National Development Plan, which seeks to create conditions for South Africa's development and prosperity.

We must put in place the right foundations, strong walls and impermeable roofs to ensure our efforts yield results which can be built upon long after we leave office. This is the only way to ensure we begin to build confidence in the citizens of our country that we will act in their best interests.

We are confident that our plans, aimed at the invigorating the economy of the North West province, will contribute to our competitive advantages which will add value for investors and our citizens alike. It is time to harness the collective power of our citizens to drive development and, at the same time, listen more to our people. We have heard the people of the North West province and we are prepared to act.

The author is the executive mayor of the City of Matlosana.

It would appear that China's growing economic presence in Africa is shaping Chinese "soft power" on the continent. In Kenya, as in many other African countries, China has largely become the "talk of the town".

The fact that China has built a strong trade partnership with Kenya and, by extension, Africa has been acknowledged numerous times. Building on the strong economic engagements, Africa and China have sought to improve interactive relations under the rubric of soft power.

Therefore, even as the media coverage of the Chinese presence in the country focuses on the economic aspects of the relationship that involve trade, investments and tourism, China's soft power is a force that cannot be ignored. The increasing use of soft power has been manifested in different ways as China's engagements with Kenya take various platforms, mainly education, training, media, culture and infrastructure construction.

Indeed, more Africans are now studying in China compared with Western powers such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, thanks to the scholarship opportunities offered by the Chinese government. Notably, scholarships from the West have dwindled recently, while Chinese scholarships have consistently shot up over the past one and a half decades. Young Africans yearning to fulfill their aims of attaining education and career dreams are now "looking East".

Large numbers of Kenyan students are being awarded scholarships funded by the People's Republic of China to study in universities in China at doctoral, master's and undergraduate levels. In short order, African graduates who studied or are studying in China will run into the thousands, bringing back with them deeper and experiential understanding of China over and above the much-needed knowledge and skills.

Interestingly, the scholarships are also backed by Chinese companies. This speaks to a direct link between economic engagements and soft power. For instance, China Road and Bridge Corp, which has been an active contractor in Kenya's infrastructure development, has been supporting tertiary education for a number of students. It will be remembered for building the Kenyan Standard Gauge Railway, a major economic booster since it facilitates the movement of goods and people. But in addition to the purely economic significance of the infrastructure built by CRBC, the company is now investing in the "soft" aspects by offering full scholarships to Kenyan students to undertake studies in the crucial field of engineering in China.

The introduction of Confucius Institutes in Kenya has also been a good strategy toward attainment of China's soft power, since soft power is usually largely about the cultural attraction rather than the economic. Therefore, the presence of numerous Confucius Institutes in Kenyan universities such as the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Egerton University and Moi University - where students are given an opportunity to learn the Chinese language and thereby interact with Chinese culture - has accelerated the growth of China's soft power in Kenya.

The media, too, have been an avenue, such as China Central Television, which in 2012 launched a broadcasting center in Nairobi. The television network airs African news as well as Chinese TV dramas and documentaries. Additionally, China Daily newspaper circulates in many parts of Africa. All these will hopefully function to promote mutual understanding between Africa and China.

Some may argue that investment in the soft aspects of education, culture and media is aimed at colonizing African people. The argument may be that Africans will abandon the West and embrace an Oriental ideology.

On the contrary, beyond the trade and the general economic relationship between Kenya and China, investment in the soft dimensions of the Africa-China relations has far greater benefits. While economic ties are important, investing in people has long-lasting ramifications, especially when one considers the fact that the Africa-China relationship is a long-term one.

Additionally, investment in soft power works to counterbalance the dominance of the West in Africa, thus offering Africans alternative viewpoints of the world. In essence, African, Chinese and Western perspectives can all co-exist, with the people picking the aspects that they consider best from the different cultures.

The author has a master's degree in African literature from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Crispus Kiyonga has been Uganda's ambassador to China since late August, but before that he was already very familiar with the country.

He says China is "like an old friend" to him because he has visited the country almost every year since the end of the 1980s.

He has been most impressed by the Communist Party of China's efforts and achievements on poverty alleviation. "Every time I travel to China, I find differences," he says. "I witnessed how you entered prosperity and how you lifted 660 million people out of poverty."

He also praises the five years since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, which he says have seen many achievements in diplomatic, economic and other sectors.

Kiyonga says the prosperity of China benefits Uganda and Africa as a whole, especially with an increasing number of Chinese companies investing in Africa in recent years.

Africa has very rich mineral resources. Uganda has copper, for example, while Kenya has titanium and South Africa has gold. Like many of his fellow African politicians, Kiyonga dislikes the way that some Western companies invest in Africa to "dig the mineral resources, sell them and take the money away without leaving anything to us".

By comparison, Chinese companies build local factories to process the mineral resources. "In that way, African countries get the value-added part", he says. "That in turn boosts local growth."

In addition, many Chinese companies invest in infrastructure construction programs that are mutually beneficial, he says, calling the Karuma Hydroelectric Power Station a typical Chinese investment project. Karuma, now under construction on the Victoria Nile River, will be the largest power-generating installation in the country when finished.

Its generated electricity will provide a stable power source for thousands of local villages. The construction program has provided jobs for at least 4,600 local residents and will help to boost local economic growth.

"The win-win situation of Chinese investment in Africa is based on the general framework of the China-Africa economic relationship," Kiyonga says. "China never attaches any political terms to its economic cooperation and assistance."

At the sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2015, President Xi Jinping announced that China would provide $60 billion funding support to Africa, of which $5 billion would be interest-free loans. Kiyonga welcomes the move and says that will boost African growth, which in turn will benefit Chinese consumption and manufacturing.

He Wenping, a professor and director of the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says China can help Africa not only with funding and technology, but also with its experience. "China knows how to turn a poor country into a rich one, which African countries can learn from," she says.

Li Xinfeng, deputy director of social sciences at China Press as well as an expert on African studies, wrote in a comment piece in People's Daily that Chinese investment will help Africa "accelerate its industrialization, enhance the construction of infrastructure and strengthen its capability of independent development".

Oct 9 marked the 55th anniversary of Uganda's independence as well as its establishment of diplomatic relations with China. Kiyonga says his country could play a bigger, more positive part in China-Uganda trade by balancing its trade deficit. "Last year, China exported goods worth $800 million to Uganda, but the latter only exported goods worth $40 million to China," he says. "But we have tourism."

"China has a population of 1.4 billion, which is an extremely large tourism market", he says. "If tourism to Uganda and Africa as a whole becomes more popular, that will mean a bigger cake for the latter".

Wang Han contributed to this story.

zhangzhouxiang@chinadaily.com.cn

Henry Tin has been operating a Chinese restaurant in Kenya for about three decades. He was present when the East African country experienced the 1998 bomb blast - about 300 meters from his establishment and partly damaging it. Tin has weathered political elections that have led to sluggish economic growth, and his business has stood the test of time.

This year, however, the landscape is harder, he says.

Henry Tin (right), owner of Tin Tin Restaurant in Kenya, with 66-year-old Francis Gitau, who has worked at the Chinese restaurant in Kenya since 1978. Lucy Morangi / China Daily

Traditionally, businesses cool down before and immediately after elections because of uncertainties. The recent general election has, however, been prolonged after the Supreme Court nullified the process held last month. Kenya is preparing to hold a fresh presidential election in October.

"Business is slow at the moment," Tin says. This is not only based on the number of diners walking in daily but also in the number of outside catering contracts, an offshoot business launched 10 years ago.

According to Jamie Pujara, Tin's nephew and business partner, the family made a strategic decision to diversify into outside catering as a supplement. This followed a decline in business due to rapid expansion of Nairobi's downtown, which pushed most affluent businesses and the Asian community - their biggest customer - to the suburbs.

"We debated whether to relocate but decided the location still held an edge in meeting the needs of government offices around us. Since then this business has grown and we can serve up to 2,000 people," Pujara says.

Second, the terrorism attack at the United States embassy 19 years ago saw most embassies - which were based in the central business district - relocate to more secure locations outside the city.

"I felt the reverberations when the bomb went off," Tin recalls. "The restaurant windows caved in. It was not a good time for Kenya."

Despite the tragedy, Tin Tin Restaurant still retained many loyal customers, including Kenya's second president, Daniel Moi, who would walk in at least once a week. Other senior government officials continue to frequent the eatery with their families, saying the Chinese food is unique. Tin says he had to localize the food to please local palates.

"I love the hot chicken wings here," says Francis Ole Kaparo, the second-longest-serving speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya. "I have been coming here since 1988."

Third, the location in the heart of Nairobi and at the Kenyatta International Convention Center, arguably the biggest exhibition space in the country, made Tin Tin Restaurant the preferred caterer for international exhibitors.

"This forced me to be more innovative. I am able to serve Italian, Japanese, Asian and Western dishes," he says.

The strategy has ensured that his business excels amid mounting competition from global fast-food chains such as KFC, Subway and Steers, which are targeting the burgeoning middle-income families.

Many new Chinese restaurants cannot boast of similar advantages, even though they are conveniently located in the affluent suburbs Tin Tin is unable to reach. Many of them have closed down, observes the youthful Pujara, adding that the lean times ahead occasioned by the presidential elections may see a deeper fall into hard times.

"This is especially hitting new businesses hard," he says. There are more than 30 Chinese restaurants in Nairobi alone. Pujara, who has also been dabbling with online businesses, says businesses should adopt the necessary strategies to keep afloat.

First, he advises firms to step up efficiency and consistency. This means that, from the outset, an eatery should be lean and push for productivity.

Synergies across the supply chain should also be strengthened.

"During political elections, supply chains for fresh produce are usually disrupted as people go to rural areas to vote. This trend negatively impacts on the business, which tries to scale down on its stock. So the secret is building reliable relationships with your suppliers and balancing procurement and waste," Pujara says.

More attention should be given to data collection and analysis, he says. There is a low culture of data collection in Kenya, and in Africa at large, but such events strongly indicate that this needs to change, the younger Tin says.

"Businesses need to increase their internet presence and push for more feedback from their clients. This would ensure that the entrepreneurs control the business cycle, even during hard times. At the moment, I think the pricing is too high. Reliable data would address this mismatch to attract customers even during downtimes."

Third is diversification. Many businesses have yet to explore offerings such as home deliveries, Pujara says. "This is a virgin territory to be explored. I think at the moment most diners, who are shying away from walking into restaurants, can be served comfort food at home."

Finally, besides reinvesting in the business, Chinese restaurants should expand their customer bases, according to the senior Tin, who says most restaurants are not innovating their menu and hence are unable to reach potential customers.

He advises businesses to delve more into local delicacies that are yet to gain popularity, especially now when the population has become more diet conscious.

"There is a rapid increase in diseases of unhealthy lifestyles and the health ministry has stepped up campaigns encouraging the masses to consume local, organic foods. It is time to explore this too," he says.

lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

Born at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in 2006, Sino-African agricultural technology demonstration centers are playing a critical role in helping Africa deal with food insecurity.

The centers were established partly to increase grain production, improve agricultural technology and enhance the food security of the recipient countries.

This is in addition to building the centers into a base for agrotechnology research and demonstrations, and building human resources.

Most mushrooms grow best in temperatures between 55 C and 60 C, away from drying, direct heat and drafts. China is training African countries in mushroom cultivation through Sino-African agricultural technology demonstration centers. Nicholas Boaz / For China Daily

To date, centers have been established in many African countries - Namibia, Zambia, Angola, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Botswana, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Senegal, Liberia, Madagascar, Cote d'Ivoire and others.

The demonstration centers focus on local agricultural development via technology demonstrations and transfer, with land ownership in the hands of local technical cooperation partners.

According to Loren Puette, director of ChinaAg.org, a market research and analytics firm dedicated to helping clients navigate China's agricultural trade and food sector, the centers have been a moderate success.

"These centers serve as a useful tool to determine which crop varieties can succeed in Africa and require further investment," he says.

The impact of the demonstration centers varies depending on the level of financial investment involved, duration of investment and types of crops. For instance, as the world's top rice producer, China has effectively promoted rice production via demonstration centers in countries such as Tanzania, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda and Rwanda.

In Rwanda for instance, since the inception in 2012 of a demonstration center in Rubona, Huye district, rice yields at the center have steadily increased from about 3.5 to 6.5 metric tons per hectare, which is roughly on par with the Chinese mainland.

"Because of high input costs, it is unlikely that Rwanda's rice industry will develop a stable and profitable export market. However, domestic rice cultivation could help diversify its agricultural production and decrease its reliance on grain imports," Puette says.

Besides rice, China is also the world's largest producer of mushrooms and has established a demonstration plot in Huye. Mush - room cultivation has a high return on investment, though consumption remains low in Rwanda and its neighboring countries, limiting its marketability.

Puette says marketing campaigns and improved logistics could increase Rwanda's domestic mushroom consumption and open up new export markets in the future.

Apart from rice and mushrooms, the center also focuses on the production of sericulture - silkworm - as well as soil and water conservation.

Uganda's agricultural technology centers, on the other hand, are primarily managed by companies based in China's Sichuan province. In late 2010, Huaqiao Fenghuang Group, an investment management company headquartered in Chengdu, opened the Uganda-China Friendship Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centre near Kajjansi, south of Kampala.

According to Puette, fish farming in Uganda is a relatively lucrative business and represents one of the country's top agricultural exports, after coffee.

To further boost the country's fishing industry, the Rice-Fish Culture Demonstration Centre in eastern Uganda's Budaka district opened in November 2016, backed by the Food and Agriculture Organization-China.

The demonstration center not only hosts a fish farm and aquatic feed facility but also features hybrid rice demonstration plots that mirror Rwanda's yields (about 6.5 tons per hectare).

"Chinese investment in Uganda's aquaculture industry has seen steady progress and has had a net positive impact on the country's agriculture sector," Puette says.

In addition to developing fish farming and rice production in Uganda, China has invested in mushroom production. This includes assisting southern Uganda's Mushroom Training and Resource Centre and promoting Chinese strains of mushrooms.

"Similar to Rwanda, mushroom consumption within Uganda is relatively small and generally limited to the country's catering, retail and hotel industries. However, it represents a low-cost high-return growth market for Ugandan smallholder farmers," Puette says.

In Tanzania, the agricultural technology demonstration center in Dakawa, Morogoro region (250 kilometers from Dar es Salaam), has trained more than 1,000 people - including agricultural officials, technicians and local farmers - in advanced agricultural technology.

Professor Chen Hualin, one of the Chinese experts at Tanzania's center, says on his web portal, Hualin's World View, that since the start of technical cooperation, 190 new plant varieties have been tested and demonstrated, including 50 rice types, 60 maize types and 80 vegetable types.

This is in addition to selections of nearly 20 plant varieties suitable for local popularization and the cultivation of seven varieties of tissue culture banana plantlets, along with the maintenance of egg-laying hens at the site.

According to Puette, rice cultivation is arguably the training area where Africans have benefited the most from the agricultural technology centers. Hybrid rice production, pioneered by China, helped sustain the country's population growth during the 1970s, when its population jumped from 818 million in 1970 to 981 million by 1980.

China's hybrid rice program, spearheaded by Hunan Province's Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture company, has led to the development of new high-yield hybrid rice varieties.

China's large reservoir of expertise on hybrid rice production, Puette says, has subsequently been shared with rice farmers across Africa.

"Over the past decade, China has held training workshops and established rice demonstration plots in a variety of African countries. Specifically, experts from Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture have supplied hybrid rice seeds and held training courses in Liberia and Madagascar."

African rice farmers have also visited Yuan Longping's headquarters in Hunan province to receive supplemental training.

Puette says the long-term success of Chinese demonstration centers will primarily depend on whether there is a strong and profitable market for the agricultural products involved.

"This includes not only successful promotion of the products within the domestic market but also developing international markets through marketing campaigns and improved logistics," he says.

He says the adoption of new agrotechnologies, as well as new crops, is a challenging undertaking that requires strong financial and technical support. Recipient African countries should therefore efficiently use both by regularly monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the technologies.

"In this way, African farmers can quickly adapt new technologies to the realities of their own farms," Puette says.

According to International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, China's engagement with African agriculture, represents perhaps the biggest opportunity in the continent's history.

The center says in its web portal that China has done more to alleviate poverty in Africa than anything ever attempted by Western colonial powers or the initiatives of traditional partners.

"The Chinese engagement might be more meaningful if Africans are careful to manage it well. African policymakers must clearly define their development objectives and engage China with those objectives in mind," it says.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

China is giving more scholarships to Kenyan students than any other country. Moreover, according to official data from Kenya's education, science and technology ministry, the program is seriously shoring up the number of PhD holders in the East African country at a time there is a notable deficit in institutions of higher learning.

The Chinese embassy in Kenya put the number of students headed for studies in their country at 150, 30 more than last year. India offered 52 scholarships, the same as last year.

Data from the Kenyan government show that 83 percent of the Chinese scholarships processed by the country's Department of Higher Education this year involved postgraduates, with more than half of the students undertaking their PhD studies at Chinese institutions.

Kenyan students with Chinese scholarships at a farewell event hosted by the Chinese embassy in Kenya on Aug 23. Lucy Morangi / China Daily

The additional scholarships have significant implications for the sector, especially after the regulator, the Commission for University Education, or CUE, released guidelines stating that only PhD holders would be allowed to lecture at universities.

The directive takes effect next year.

Moreover, the country is working toward a knowledge economy. Kenya's development blueprint, Vision 2030, identifies ICT as a catalyst in its bid set development goals.

"We are facing shortages in human capital and capacity in IT and infrastructure sectors," says Chacha Nyaigoti-Chacha, the chairman of CUE. "The move by China is commendable as far as our future planning is concerned, especially in increasing the number of master's and PhD degrees."

To be eligible for the scholarship, students need to be working in the public sector and interested in energy, mining, IT, architecture or social sciences. These, according to Nyaigoti-Chacha, are priority areas for the country.

He believes that the effort to train more Kenyans in China will also help address the current challenges, such as weak links between academia and the private sector.

"The future lies in the fact that training from China can be applied upon return, and students will be working on innovation that will be directly applied to the economy of this country," he says.

He compares it with China's experience, where the country sent its best students to Western countries to acquire relevant skills that were later utilized in its own development.

"Right now I am pleased that the knowledge is found in China, especially in the sciences and infrastructure, where it has invested heavily in the recent past."

Attending the recent pre-departure event hosted by the Chinese embassy in Kenya, the chairman noted that more Kenyans have left the country for China through alternative means without necessarily passing through the Ministry of Education.

In addition to the government scholarships, others were issued by China's Ministry of Commerce through the Economic and Commercial counselor's office and Confucius Institutes. This is in addition to eight outstanding scholarships given out annually.

China's ambassador to Kenya noted that more universities have opened their doors to Kenyan students.

"Some students will go to Harbin, a northeastern city in China with cold winters that is famous for its beautiful ice sculptures. And some will go to Changsha, where they will enjoy hot weather and hot food," Liu Xianfa says.

According to a study by a student and professor from Michigan State University, China is the second-most popular destination for African students studying abroad, ahead of the United States and United Kingdom. The article states that in less than 15 years, the number of African students surged from under 2,000 in 2003 to almost 50,000 in 2015.

Besides the government implementing its pledge from the 2015 Forum for China-Africa Cooperation of providing at least 30,000 scholarships to African students by 2018, African students who are self-sponsored are pursuing quality, affordable education in China, the study says.

Cliff Mboya, who is undertaking a PhD in international politics at Shanghai's Fudan University, says strong emphasis is placed on practical training and research.

"The university is keen that students undertake and complete research that will have an impact on government policies and will systematically assist graduate students in managing their projects. This, I think, is important when I return back to Kenya and join the teaching staff of a university," he says.

A beneficiary of a government scholarship sponsored by China's Ministry of Commerce, he says the program does not simply pay tuition, board, upkeep and return airfare. He also receives a stipend to buy books needed for his studies.

India is another country that is offering more scholarships. Ministry data show the Asian country offering 52 programs, the same as last year. However, it bars Kenyans from studying medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and other health related courses. The advertisement on the ministry's website also does not specify the number of postgraduate programs being offered.

lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

The Chinese company will invest $1 billion in the manufacture of shoes, clothes, bags, cellphones and computers and is expected to create more than 20,000 jobs for young Rwandans.

The investment partnership is also expected to increase the export potential of the East African nation's finished products and enable it to diversify exports of local products and increase returns for the sustainable development of the country.

The agreement is part of the company's expansion plans in East Africa.

Huajian Group Chairman Zhang Huarong says the company will initially import raw materials that will be used in manufacturing in Rwanda, with plans to source over half of these locally in the long-term.

Zhang expressed confidence about his future investment in Rwanda as he believes the country's development strategy is similar to China's.

"Rwanda is a good place to do business in Africa because the political climate is steady, the governance is efficient and the population is relatively educated," he says.

"Rwanda's development strategy is similar to China's strategy in producing high end products and increasing exports. Politics is steady, the leadership of this government is efficient."

Scholarships and training in China have been offered to over 200 Rwandan students starting this year to enhance technical skills transfer.

RDB's Chief Executive Officer Clare Akamanzi says Huajian's commitment to invest in the country will diversify and improve the export of its finished products.

According to Akamanzi, the government has already acquired land in the Kigali Special Economic Zone and it is believed that Zhang's investment will contribute to export diversification, which is in line with the country's vision.

"We are confident that Zhang's commitment to invest in Rwanda will diversify and improve exports of finished products," Akamanzi says.

"Rwanda is one of the most attractive places to do business, and much like European countries because the government is highly efficient and properly managed. The factory, too, will serve as center for East Africa."

Huajian Group's long-term plan is to invest and build five light industrial parks in developing countries in Africa in the next 10 years, producing and processing clothing, shoes, hats, suitcases, bags, electronics and other light industrial products. In the process it will provide 100,000 jobs.

The Chinese firm joins a list of other Chinese companies in the textile sector that are operating in the country - one of which is C & H Garments Factory, one of the country's fastest-growing textile companies, which currently makes police uniforms, safety vests and, most recently, military items.

Huajian is owned by Zhang and it mainly specializes in production of high-end and midrange women's shoes with three production bases, including one in Ethiopia.

Huajian has a factory near Addis Ababa that employs 6,000 people. It opened in January 2012 and has committed to jointly invest $2 billion over the next decade to create a light manufacturing special economic zone in Ethiopia, with employment for around 100,000 people. The company, which employs 25,000 workers in China expects to be able to provide around 30,000 jobs in Addis Ababa by 2022.

In Ethiopia, Huajian partners with the China-Africa Development Fund, a private equity fund promoting Chinese investment on the continent. Born out of the 2006 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the fund was launched in June 2007 with $1 billion provided by the China Development Bank. A further injection of $2 billion was made early last year.

Over the last six years, Rwanda has witnessed an unprecedented number of Chinese investments. The total estimated amount of Chinese investments registered in Rwanda is about $103 million, according to the Rwanda Development Board.

For China Daily

In sport, surfing refers to riding a wave, and when the wave is huge, the surfing is more exciting.

However, for private business, surfing on the wave of a rising market can bring excitement as well as worries, especially when others are trying to ride the same wave.

Take, for example, Shandong Shengya Machinery Co, which is based in Linyi, Shandong province, and specializes in the design and manufacture of concrete pole molds, block-making machinery and mixers. After enjoying a good domestic market in China, it decided to go global.

Chai Xixiang, the sales manager of Nile Machinery Limited, examines a block-making machine in his Nairobi workshop. Liu Hongjie / China Daily

As part of its overseas expansion plan, the company began to explore the Nigeria market in 2004, its first step in selling electric pole mold machines and block-making machines in Africa.

It has now set up companies in such African countries as Nigeria, Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon, Tanzania and Cote d'Ivoire. It stretched its arm to Kenya in 2013, wading into East Africa's leading economy.

Chai Xixiang joined the company in 2010 and worked as a sales manager in Anhui province. His experience in sales led to him becoming one of the team members when the company planned to set up a new company in Kenya. He is now the sales manager of Nile Machinery Limited, registered in Kenya.

"In the first two years, we tried to break even, and in 2015 and 2016, the sales volume picked up, fueled by the new products brought from China," says Chai.

In 2015, the company began to consider bringing more variety to the market. It started to assemble small carts, fencing molds, paving stone molds, maize threshers, rice milling equipment, walking tractors and concrete mixers. The move helped boost its business in Kenya.

To cater to the different policies of different countries in Africa, the company adopted flexible policies, Chai says.

For instance, in Ethiopia, where the government has a tight foreign exchange policy and restricts imports of complete manufacturing plants, the company bought 16 acres (6.5 hectares) of land, constructed factory buildings and bought lathes, planers and millers to produce its products locally. The localization helped sharpen its competitive edge due to reduced labor costs.

The first products of the company in Kenya are concrete electric pole molds and block-making machinery. Currently, there are 13 private enterprises producing concrete poles in Kenya. Seven of them bought the machinery from Shengya. The rest imported the equipment either from China or from other countries before Chai's company started its business in Kenya. Therefore, the products enjoyed a good market among local private companies for the first few years.

Statistics indicate that from 2013 to the present, Kenya has needed 5 million new electric poles to replace wooden poles, an ambitious plan that boosted demand for concrete pole molds.

However, after several years, the market has become saturated, leading to a slowdown in business. Chai worries about the future of the company, especially since many large Chinese companies are flocking to the Kenya market to ride the wave of the Road and Belt Initiative.

He says these companies are much stronger than small, private companies like his.

"The dark days for the business will soon come," Chai says. "But it is a business cycle you have to be prepared for. We need to look for a new market or bring new products for our own niche market."

panzhongming@chinadaily.com.cn

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will soon accept into its ranks 23 new member countries, including three African nations, said Danny Alexander, the bank's vice-president.

Alexander said the new members that are gradually being approved to join include Ethiopia, Madagascar and Sudan.

The three nations will join fellow African nations South Africa, a prospective founding member, and Egypt. The 23 new members will bring the total to 80.

Just 18 months after its launch, the bank is already off a "very strong start", approving 17 projects in nine member countries worth $2.8 billion and set to increase its lending programs, Alexander said during a news conference on Aug 29 in Beijing.

"We will shortly be considering a potential investment in a solar power project in Egypt. That will be the first project in Africa, and depending on the project and the ideas that we developed, there will well be more in the future," he said of the bank's prospects for funding projects in Africa.

Alexander said the AIIB enjoys a "very good" relationship with the African Development Bank and sees it as a sister institution and part of a family of multinational development banks.

He said the two banks meet from "time to time, have discussions and share experiences" on a number of issues, although no projects have been co-financed by them.

In response to concerns about African countries with smaller economies that may join the bank in the near future, he said, "We have a number of smaller Asian countries which are members of the bank, including some for which we have already agreed to finance projects. For example, Tajikistan, a relatively small central Asian country which also has significant economic and financial challenges.

"We have been able to work out agreements to finance two projects in that country (Tajikistan) and have other projects in the pipeline in other small countries in Asia - and they are very important members of our bank, and we want to make sure that we listen to all of our shareholders," he said.

"We work closer with and listen carefully to the governments of the countries, and what we do is suitable and appropriate. We are developing an operating module of our bank to move very quickly and not to be too costly or bureaucratic but maintain high standards," he added.

He dismissed suggestions that the AIIB is micromanaged by the Chinese government, saying that "all members have broad interest and support the objective of the bank, and cooperation is very important to all members".

Countries from around the world are willing to engage in designing this new institution and are willing to become members and work closely with Asian countries to make sure the bank is a success, he said.

"The AIIB is an international financial institution, and we respond to all of our members and we follow the advising guidance of all our member countries," said Alexander, former chief secretary to the Treasury of Britain.

The AIIB supports sustainable economic development within a scope of lean, clean and green - which encompasses efficiency, zero tolerance for corruption, a high standard for integrity and making projects environmentally friendly, he added.

Projects must be economically viable, environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable before being approved and funded, he said.

Alexander said economists have hailed the AIIB for its "highest possible standard of international financial governance".

He added that the AIIB's "close cooperation with the World Bank in easily co-financing projects" is the proof of its viability.

For China Daily

This philosophy is being fulfilled in Mandela's country, which is reaping benefits from teaching Mandarin to 20 tour guides and people working in the tourism sector in 2016.

The guides say the training is helping them communicate well with tourists from China.

Tshepiso Mokoka, a 22-year-old guide with Maropeng A'Africa Leisure at South Africa's Cradle of Civilisation World Heritage site, says she has spoken to more than 1,000 Mandarin speakers since training. She says the lessons have improved her communication with tourists from China.

Mokoka says:"The training added value to the way I do my duties. I work for a World Heritage site and we have a lot of Chinese tourists. The training has made it easier and more comfortable to communicate with them. The Chinese express deep shock and excitement when I talk to them in their language. It is strengthening ties between China and South Africa and it is also increasing the number of Chinese tourists coming to the World Heritage site."

Mokoka believes that teaching Mandarin to more people in the tourism sector will encourage Chinese people to choose South Africa as their number one tourist destination.

The 20 South Africans did three months of intensive training in Mandarin. They were also taught about Chinese culture, entrepreneurship and kung fu among other things. Mokoka, who has been a tour guide for two years, is leaving her country on Sept 2 to study at Yangzhou University in China. She has been offered a scholarship to do Mandarin for a year and will return to her job after completing her studies. The 20 tourism workers visited China from February 24 to March 22 to get some experience of life in the country. They visited the Ming Tombs, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, He Garden and Slender West Lake.

Kabelo Mothupi, owner and tour guide at Merakeng Tours and Adventures, says the trip to China helped him to improve his Mandarin, learn about Chinese culture and boost his confidence in speaking Chinese. Mothupi says: "The training has immensely benefited me and so did the trip to China. I came back feeling extremely assertive and now it's up to us to develop and strengthen that intimate relationship with Chinese travelers. Speaking in Mandarin makes them feel at home and hopefully they will keep coming to South Africa. As a small enterprise we will benefit a lot. This will improve the experience of our tourists at every step of their journey and grow tourism further."

South Africa saw a year-on-year growth record of 38 percent in the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country in 2016. Mothupi says the increase shows the Chinese have an appetite for visiting the country. He believes that South Africa can greatly benefit from the 121 million-plus Chinese tourists who traveled overseas last year.

He says: "A welcoming greeting for a traveler in the language they understand gives them confidence that they can get information. My ultimate aim is to improve the experience of all our tourists at every step of their journey. Because language is the river which connects people, knowledge of language helps break down barriers. As a tourist guide, I will be able to explain the fascinating stories of our sites much better, and the Chinese travelers will understand us better and spread the word when they return home."

The CEO of South African Tourism, Sisa Ntshona, says the training in Mandarin has improved communication with tourists from China. He says this will, in the long run, improve customer service and encourage Chinese people to return and spend money in the country.

Ntshona says his company wants to employ young staff who know how to sell the country. They will be learning Mandarin, Russian and other languages like German, particularly those of target markets.

Mandarin is also being taught in more than 44 schools in the country. The police, Department of Higher and Tertiary Education staff and other government officials have been trained in the language.

Research has shown that the total spending by Chinese tourists in the country will reach $100 million in 2017.

TTB Chairman Thomas Mihayo says that increasing the number of tourists from China will largely depend on reliable and affordable air links between the two countries.

"Efforts are underway to encourage Chinese airlines to open direct routes to Tanzania. This will in turn open and shorten the route to Dar es Salaam," says Mihayo.

Direct flights would likely increase the number of Chinese tourists from the current 20,000 to 100,000 by next year and 300,000 by 2025, he says.

Mihayo says that while the number of tourists is increasing, the shortage of flights to Africa safari destinations such as Tanzania makes travel difficult.

Irene Mville, the TTB's tourism officer, says China is gradually proving to be a good source of tourists for Tanzania and that the number of Chinese tourists going to Tanzania has grown in the past two years.

"Transport challenges, especially the absence of direct flights from China to Tanzania, are a serious impediment to Tanzania's tourist marketing efforts in China," says Mville, adding that market promotion for Tanzania as a tourist destination will help more Chinese to be aware of such attractions as historical places, wildlife viewing and beaches, as well as culture.

Currently, Chinese tourists to Tanzania depend on connecting flights from such airlines as KLM, Emirates, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.

Tanzania has a wealth of tourist attractions from the coast to its western border. The country has several wildlife areas, game parks and game reserves, wetlands, lakes and mountains. Three of the Seven National Wonders of Africa are found in Tanzania: Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Tourism is crucial for Tanzania's economy, contributing to a quarter of the country's foreign exchange and supporting over half a million jobs directly or indirectly.

In 2004, then Chinese president Hu Jintao agreed with then Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa to open the doors for Tanzania's tourism. In March 2013, President Xi Jinping took up the matter with former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete and agreed to make Tanzania a leading destination for Chinese tourists.

It is expected that China's outbound tourism market will grow to 100 million visits by 2020, making the Beijing International Travel and Tourism Market an opportunity for the rest of the world to claim a share of this expanding travel market.

Last year, China and Tanzania signed an Agreement on Destination Status that gives the green light for selected tour operators in China and Tanzania to conduct tourism business.

The China Trade Week in Nairobi, capital of Kenya between June 29 and July 1. Liu Hongjie / China Daily

African importers turning to China for quality, convenience

China has become popular in Africa, not only because of its massive infrastructure developments, but also as a key source of goods. In fact, most businesspeople in Africa have shifted their focus to importing from China. There are two reasons for this.

First, China is currently a low-cost manufacturing center, and so is one of the top choices for African importers looking for cost-effective goods.

Second, import procedures are not as complicated as they are for other parts of the world.

Because of this, many people - including small-and medium-sized enterprises - can source goods directly from China, cutting out middlemen and increasing profits.

Shritesh Lakhani, finance manager of BBC Auto Spares Ltd, a motor vehicle spare parts company based in Kenya, says his company switched from India to China as a source of imports because it meant a lot less bureaucracy.

"Doing business with China is easy compared to other countries. Once I give the specification of what I need, I'm assured of receiving the consignment on time. I'm an Indian, but I prefer dealing with Chinese manufacturers rather than those in my home country," he says.

Similar sentiments are expressed by Patrick Kuria, who has been importing electronic goods from China for the last 10 years. Kuria runs Pes Electricals and Hardware, a company that deals with electrical accessories, water pumps and car washing machines, among other products.

He says the Chinese are honest, friendly and easy to deal with.

"The basic thing that Chinese suppliers are looking for is trust from the importers. With that, you will build a strong business relationship," he says.

Kuria describes China as the world's factory, where a businessperson can find almost anything. It may be challenging for newcomers, but, once they From page 1 have the right information on how to import, it becomes much easier.

"The first step is deciding what to import, finding suppliers, ordering a sample, ordering smaller batches, placing an order and negotiating terms. It is, however, wise to visit the country if you are in a position to do so. This will help ensure that what you import is exactly what you require. It also helps to build confidence with the manufacturers," he says.

According to a recent report by McKinsey & Co, titled Dance of the Lions and Dragons, many African companies are replacing existing imports of equipment and other goods with lower-cost Chinese alternatives.

More than half of the African business leaders interviewed during the research said that cheaper and more easily available items were a major source of value from the Africa-China economic relationship.

For instance, a pan-African packaging company reported that it had previously imported packaging machinery from Germany and Italy but had decided to switch to a Chinese provider.

"The quality of Chinese equipment has been improving rapidly in the past few years and now it's 95 percent as good as German or Italian equipment - yet the price remains very competitive," the CEO of the company told McKinsey& Co.

The CEO said the Chinese supplier was ready to address any issues and was aggressively taking market share from European companies.

Another CEO from a South African company, dealing with the manufacture and distribution of electro-mechanical equipment, says Chinese suppliers take a longer-term view than their Western counterparts.

"Our Chinese supplier is willing to take the risk and do the research and development for the specific parts that we need, then transfer the technology to us in order to build a long-term partnership. Suppliers in Europe are unlikely to do so, and they tend to be far more concerned about their patents," he says.

Bob Wekesa, a steering committee member of the Chinese in Africa Africans in China Research Network, says the affordability of Chinese products, compared with US and European products, is one of the key reasons behind the growth of African imports from China.

He says it's easy to access products in Chinese manufacturing hubs, especially Guangzhou and Yiwu. In contrast, US and European manufacturing hubs are scattered around several cities, making it difficult for importers to purchase their goods conveniently.

"Compared to the American and European markets, China offers cheap air tickets and shipment costs, so it is more convenient to source goods from the country. Obtaining travel visas is also easier," Wekesa says.

China has overtaken Germany and the United States to become Africa's biggest source of goods.

It has far surpassed Africa's longstanding trade partners such as France, Germany, India and the US.

According to a survey by the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC, in terms of Africa's imports, Germany was the largest source in 2005, with China just slightly behind and the US ranking third.

However, by 2013 China had become by far the largest source of imports to the continent, with the amount totaling nearly $45 billion, about three times the levels of either Germany or the US. India was the second-largest exporter to Africa, with flows totaling more than $20 billion.

In 2015, Chinese exports to Africa grew further, reaching $103 billion. South Africa was the largest Chinese goods importer, followed by Nigeria and Egypt.

Nevertheless, compared to other parts of the world, Chinese exports to Africa are quite minimal. According to research organization World's Top Exports, 49.8 percent of Chinese exports by value are delivered to other Asian countries, 21.2 percent to North America, 18.5 percent to Europe and 4.4 percent to Africa.

The volume of trade (imports and exports) between China and Africa reached $200 billion in 2013, making China Africa's biggest trade partner. Trade between the US and Africa, on the other hand, amounted to $109 billion the same year.

Angola is China's biggest trading partner in Africa, with an average annual trade of over $18.6 billion, followed by South Africa, with an average annual trade of $16.7 billion.

Among China's top African trading partners, six are oil exporters and three have diversified economies. Trade between China and its top 10 African trading partners accounted for 76 percent of the total trade between China and Africa in 2013.

Until recently, most African traders and consumers associated China with production of substandard goods. This notion has been wiped away by an increasing number of initiatives from the Chinese government to enhance cooperation and friendship with African governments.

The construction of quality infrastructure in Africa has played a key role in building trust. Another initiative has been establishment of Confucius Institutes across the continent, helping Africans to better understand Chinese people and their culture.

Kiprop Lagat, Kenya's director of culture, says that through the establishment of Confucius Institutes, as well as various cultural programs like the 1,000 People Plan Project, launched by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, a lot of myths have been dispelled, making it easier for Chinese to do business with Africans.

The project, which aims to train 1,000 Africans involved in various aspects of culture by the end of 2018, has so far seen more than 200 people receive training in cultural management in China.

Chinese exhibitions, especially China Trade Week, organized by MIE Events, have created a platform for Chinese manufacturers to meet African businesspeople. This has extensively helped in building confidence in Chinese manufactured goods, consequently increasing the volume of exports to Africa.

Who is to blame for substandard goods made in China?

Michelle Meyrick, international events director for MIE Events, says the preconception that China only produces low-quality products is a problem experienced not only in Africa but across the globe.

"China can produce very high-quality products, but when buyers have big budgets they think of Europe and the US. When they have low budgets they think of China. iPhones are made in China and I don't think anyone would say they are low quality," she says.

According to the Business Insider website, the reason Apple manufactures iPhones in China is because most of its component supply chain is in China and the country's factories are now far bigger and more nimble than those in US. Additionally, China now has a far bigger supply of appropriately qualified engineers than the US.

Meyrick says China has the resources to make products according to all budgets, from the very low to the highest quality, giving businesspeople freedom of choice.

"We have incorporated conferences into China Trade Weeks in an effort to educate local companies that they can get high-quality, high-tech products from China," she says.

China Trade Week in Kenya, from June 29 to July 1, the conference room was always packed, an indication that businesspeople are eager to learn about importing from China.

Since May, MIE Events has organized China Trade Week in four African countries - Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia - and plans are underway to hold a similar event in Morocco in December.

The response from all of them, Meyrick says, has been amazing and the volume of imports from China is poised to grow further, since the expo has provided Africans with an opportunity to meet face-to-face with manufacturers for discussions and business cooperation.

Julius Sunkuli, the former Kenyan ambassador to China, says China's factories manufacture goods that are meant to comply with standards in the USA and Europe, among others. He laments that African businesspeople mostly go for the low standards, the reason Chinese goods have gained such a bad reputation on the continent.

"I urge African businesspeople to go for the best-quality products instead of going for the cheap substandard goods. This gives the wrong impression that China is flooded with such goods," Sunkuli says.

Importer Patrick Kuria says substandard goods are not a Chinese problem but rather an African one.

"If you order cheap products, you can be assured of getting low quality," he says, demonstrating two electronic devices, one heavier (high quality) going for 1,500 Kenyan shillings ($14) and the other one lighter (low quality) going for Ksh200.

"Many people would prefer the cheaper one, which will not last long and may not be effective. Africans should understand that cheap is expensive," he says.

Kuria, an electrician by profession, advises importers who are not professional in the field for which businesspeople they are importing to employ professionals in order to get good-quality products.

"It's important to involve technicians who understand the fine details of what you want to import, especially electronics and machinery," he says.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

As Africa gears up for industrialization, analysts say the continent should take a leaf from China's book, taking advantage of their growing cooperation.

Within a period of 30 years, China became the world's largest producer of manufactured goods, an achievement that took the United Kingdom 150 years to achieve.

Currently, China is Africa's biggest trade partner, and so the continent has a precious opportunity to replicate the Asian country's success story.

Bob Wekesa, steering committee member of the Chinese in Africa, Africans in China Research Network, says it would be possible to replicate China's model in developing Africa's manufacturing sector.

Wekesa notes that China started off with the establishment of special economic zones, which eventually drove innovation throughout the country.

"This is a model that calls for the intervention of governments in matters of development. We call it the developmental state model. It is a model that African countries should emulate," he says.

Similar sentiments are shared by Sikhumbuzo Zondi, research assistant at the Institute for Global Dialogue, associated with the University of South Africa. Zondi says the establishment of special manufacturing hubs in the early 1970s, as part of China's policy to open up to international trade, played a key role in the country's industrialization process.

"Such reforms became the turning point toward its market-oriented economy, as thorough research was done, including the establishment of special economic zones which became the driving force for growth," he says.

Zondi says African countries should work toward setting up and implementing sound policies. This is in addition to improving regulatory frameworks and tax policies in order to attract and encourage investment.

This is because many African states produce similar raw materials, resulting in strong competition between them. To minimize such competition, Zondi says they should develop strategies based on competitive advantage that can maximize potential.

Manaseh Otieno, policy analyst at the Kenya Institute for Public Research and Analysis, says the Chinese industrialization model can be replicated in Africa but within each country's specific context.

"The political environment might play a significant role in their development, but the same might not be replicable in other countries. There are, however, a lot of lessons developing countries can learn from China," he says.

Otieno says developing countries need to learn how efficient and effective use of resources can enhance manufacturing productivity and economic growth.

This, alongside investment in both hard and soft infrastructure, is important for enhancing value chains and value addition for exports.

"Developing countries need to enhance their value addition potential," he says.

A report by the World Bank, titled China's investment in African Special Economic Zones: Prospects, Challenges and Opportunities, states that China's recent moves to establish SEZs in several African countries could make a significant contribution to industrialization in Africa.

However, the success of zones is by no means guaranteed. Meeting the objectives of both China and African countries will require an active partnership and a framework for collaboration that includes engagement from host governments.

This is in addition to processes for phasing in local control, communication and enforcement of standards, and support for integration with local economies.

In 2006, the Chinese government announced that it would support the establishment of as many as 50 overseas "economic and trade cooperation zones". Of the 19 approved so far, five are in sub-Saharan Africa: in Ethiopia, Mauritius, Nigeria (two) and Zambia.

The Chinese SEZ projects in Africa might be practical, considering that China is the world's foremost success story in using SEZs as a tool for attracting foreign direct investment and promoting export-oriented industrialization.

However, Jack Ma, the Alibaba Group founder and executive chairman, says replicating China's model may not work for Africa.

"For Africa to develop, Africans should not follow any other country's model," he says. "The continent should come up with its own model, focusing on the use of the modern technology and protecting the environment."

If Africa copies China in building its manufacturing hub, Ma says, it has no future because world manufacturing is shifting from business-to-consumer to consumer-to-business.

"The future of a manufacturing line is not how many T-shirts can be made in one assembly for one hour but how many different, tailor-made T-shirts can be made," he says.

Businessman helps African entrepreneurs overcome the problems and misunderstandings linked with imports and exports

When Stephen Ketu arrived in Beijing in the late 1990s, he worked for small change and gifts, cutting the hair of Ghanaian diplomats. Today, he is a central figure in trade between China and Africa.

The 50-year-old business tycoon traveled to the Chinese capital in 1998 after four years in Hong Kong to renew his passport, but was told by the Ghanaian embassy he would need to wait for four months.

To cover his costs, he began offering haircuts to embassy workers, some of whom paid him, while others gave him gifts or bought him lunch as a token of appreciation.

But he had an eye on the big picture, seeking out business opportunities.

"I began exporting marble (and) tiles to Norway after learning how to authenticate various specifications," he said recently at an event attended by visiting African journalists in Beijing.

Before taking the leap to exporting tiles, his first objective was assimilation: setting aside his traditional Ghanaian food, learning Mandarin and getting to know the locals. It paid off - he married his Chinese fianc��e a couple of years later, and she now helps run his company.

In 2004, Ketu climbed a few steps up the ladder, becoming his own boss after obtaining a license from the authorities to export tiles and building materials to Ghana.

The fast pace of imports and exports saw his business growing bigger at a time when China's booming tile factories were seeking new markets abroad.

Five years later, the Ghanaian successfully established Tianjin Able Import and Export Trading Co Ltd, which has offices in Tianjin and Beijing, more than 30 Chinese partners and an annual average turnover of $150 million. By the end of 2016, the company had exported more than $560 million worth of products, including tricycles, buses, sanitary equipment and various types of machinery, mostly to West Africa.

Ketu then began helping his compatriots to strengthen their business dealings with China as trade links grew stronger between Ghanaian importers and Chinese manufacturers.

"Most of the people in my country that I helped into the export business with China are now very rich," he says, adding that he has also helped several Chinese entrepreneurs invest in Ghana.

"We have done a lot, but I'm always looking for other opportunities, especially for Africans," he says. "We want to work with others because there are a lot of opportunities here in China for Africans to explore."

As he keeps an eye on the whole of Africa, aiming to deepen collaboration with other entrepreneurs and share his vast experience of Chinese manufacturers and products, he's aware of the challenges on both sides of the import-export trade chain and is already helping minimize the risks that traders experience.

The hurdles African entrepreneurs endure exporting products from China are sometimes compounded by the fear of being duped or receiving the goods with the wrong specifications, says Kwadwo Atuahene, trade attache at the Ghana embassy in Beijing.

Top Chinese manufacturers and government officials have warned African businesses against dealing with unrecognized companies.

"When you select the contractor, service provider or manufacturer, please select credible Chinese national companies or companies that are well recognized," advises Hu Weidong, vice-president for international affairs at DongFang Electric Corp, a company involved in several hydropower projects in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda and Egypt.

"Many times, African countries and our friends only make selections based on the price tag; they don't know the disadvantages," Hu said in May while speaking at the company's headquarters in Chengdu about the misconceptions dogging the image of Chinese products in Africa.

Qian Keming, vice-minister for Africa relations at the Ministry of Commerce says at a news conference in March following the National People's Congress: "We have also signed bilateral trade and investment agreements with African countries, and we have established a bilateral mechanism through which we can overcome these challenges."

Qian was responding to a question about the quality of Chinese-made products in Africa.

But Ketu says limited information about the specifications and quality of products and the absence of trade liaisons on both sides are giving rise to inconsistencies.

"Sometimes people (African businessmen) come to me and want to buy something and don't have the specifications of what they want. They are only concerned about the price of the product," he says.

At the Ghana embassy in Beijing, the trade attache Atuahene says he is coordinating with a business center run by Ketu to enhance smooth trade exchanges.

"When we saw Ketu, then we thought that he could set up a business center backed by the embassy - based on his experience and his knowledge of China - to assist businesspeople to avoid troubles," says Atuahene, who adds that the center makes his job easier.

With offices in Beijing and Accra, the business center verifies manufacturers and products and arranges shipment to avoid hitches and risks for both parties.

Ketu says problems on both sides of the import chain will be minimized once African importers understand Chinese manufacturers and the products they want to trade.

"In order to import or export quality products, you must have the appropriate specifications you want to import or export," he says.

Alpha Daffae Senkpeni is a journalist with FrontPage Africa, based in Liberia, who is visiting China Daily as part of a 10-month China-Africa Press Centre fellowship.

for China Daily

Chinese products are everywhere across the African market - at least two of every three products sold or displayed in superstores are sourced from China.

These products have one common feature that endears them to consumers - they target the mass market on the continent that had for a long time been neglected by some of the local and foreign manufacturers that used to view them as having no purchasing power.

Interestingly, most of the Chinese products exported to Africa fit everyone's needs. All consumers, rich or poor, are targeted depending on the cost of the Made-in-China products.

These products in the African market include renowned brands, which two decades back used to be manufactured in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Some of these products include mobile phones and household goods such as dishes, cups, utensils, televisions, gas cookers, microwaves, radio, DVDs, clothes and purses.

Chinese exports to Africa have, indeed, overtaken products that used to be imported from countries such as India, Germany, the US, the UK, France, Indonesia and Japan.

Chinese products have overtaken competition from developed countries and have taken the African market by storm basically due to the relatively low cost of labor, advanced technology, superior infrastructure and availability of resources.

All these factors combined to make China the best place to manufacture products, especially by companies in developed countries where the cost of manufacturing the same product is relatively higher.

A study done by McKinsey in 2015 indicates that Chinese companies handle 12 percent of Africa's industrial production, valued at $500 billion a year. Indeed, China's trade with Africa increased from $13 billion in 2001 to $188 billion in 2015 - an average annual growth of 21 percent.

So far, a number of Chinese firms are relocating to Africa, mainly due to the relatively high margins on a range of products. Moreover, 31 percent of these firms are in manufacturing while 25 percent in services, and 15 percent in construction and real estate.

China-Africa bilateral trade has been steadily increasing for the past two decades despite a slump caused by the 2008 financial crisis and weak commodity prices since 2014.

In 2015, South Africa was the largest buyer of Chinese goods, followed by Nigeria and Egypt. However, other countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Botswana, Angola, Senegal and Uganda are also emerging as keen consumers of Chinese products.

China accounted for just 1.8 percent of African imports in 1992, but by 2013, China become the continent's largest source of imports - sending three times as many goods as either of Africa's traditional trading partners, the US, and Germany.

According to UN Comtrade data, Chinese exports to Africa reached $103 billion in 2015 but some researchers argue that the real amount could be as much as 60 percent higher than official figures given how much is underreported or smuggled in luggage.

Indeed, thousands of wholesale and retail traders sell clothing, electronics, fabric and more that come from China mainly due to the pocket-friendly items that fit every household budget unlike in the past when the goods were expensive and only a few could manage to buy them.

Businesses that travel to China to source products say the Chinese products fit all consumer segments, depending on how much one can afford. Purses, dresses and suits displayed in neighborhood malls are branded, "Made in the PRC," a deliberately vague label that shoppers often don't realize refers to the People's Republic of China.

It's easier to import goods from China to Africa than ever before. Even the cheap products that most African traders used to flood the market with are no longer available, thanks to adhering to strict standards in importing countries.

Also, Chinese traders who have set up shop across Africa, selling to African traders or directly to customers, are also getting hit by weak local currencies and growing competition from other Chinese and African traders. In South Africa, home to Africa's largest Chinese community, Chinese traders are moving to less saturated markets in Africa or returning home.

The writer is an economist at Zimsky Consultants, Kenya. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

The Chinese government has steadfastly fulfilled its promise to provide human resource assistance to African countries within the stipulated time; and in the face of a dawdling global economic recovery in recent years, China-Africa trade cooperation and development have sustained a relatively positive momentum.

China became Africa's primary trade partner in 2009, and since then, the scale of trade has expanded rapidly, with Africa becoming China's major import source, second-largest overseas infrastructure project market and fourth-largest investment destination.

What then could be the reasons underpinning such expansion? The answers lie in the nature of China-Africa relations.

Bilateral economic and trade cooperation has improved people's lives and diversified economic development in many African countries, provided strong support for China's socioeconomic development, and contributed to promoting South-South cooperation and balanced world economic development. How?

China's entry into the African trade and development space offered the continent another choice of economic partnership, which traditionally relied on Europe and the United States. China's trade and economic development with Africa can be categorized into three models.

First, attitude matters: China views Africa as an equal partner, and it does not attach any political strings for development to take place.

Second, hard work: China is able to complete infrastructure projects in the shortest time, in the so-called China speed.

For instance, the Ethiopia-Djibouti electric railway was 70 percent financed by China's Exim Bank and built by China Railway Group and China Civil Engineering Construction. It took seven years to complete - from 2011 to 2017.

Third, township enterprise: China's trade and development cooperation with Africa seeks to address inequalities between urban and rural development.

In addition, China's massive trade and investment in Africa have been boosted by its rapid infrastructure development projects - in areas such as railways, roads and regional aviation.

In this regard, China's own experience in industrial development through special manufacturing hubs offers valuable lessons and opportunities for Africa's future growth and development. China introduced special economic zones in the early 1980s as part of its policy to open up to international investment.

Such economic reforms became a defining moment in its market-oriented economy as it spearheaded the establishment of SEZs that became the driving force for growth.

These SEZs are geographically designated trade zones used to attract foreign investors and boost local industrialization. They generally have trade laws that differ from the rest of the country, and companies are offered tax incentives for setting up operations.

Therefore, what Africa can learn from China's SEZ model is to set up and implement long-term and sustainable market-oriented economic policies that boost trade and investment.

Another lesson for Africa is that setting up special manufacturing hubs can boost the diversification of their economies and promote industrial development. China's experience shows that for hubs to succeed, African governments must improve infrastructure and technology and have an educated and competent labor force as well as efficient and effective administration.

Moreover, many African states produce raw materials of a similar nature, connoting strong competition between them. To minimize such competition, they will need to develop economic strategies based on competitive advantages that can maximize potential.

What Africa also needs to learn from the Chinese experience is that due to the continent's massive rural population and high levels of illiteracy, the State must be the primary driver of economic development.

In China, State-driven economic reforms commenced with the formation of rural enterprises, investment in manufacturing, and midlevel training. In this way, a series of reforms that were introduced and directed by the state hastened industrial productivity, leading to increased economic growth.

Another important note for African governments to grasp here is that Chinese economic growth did not come from the forces of the free market, as conventional theories of economic development dictate, but from State-led economic reforms.

Furthermore, Chinese SEZs may be instructive for Africa given its large agricultural and rural-based population, because by encouraging the growth of rural enterprises and not focusing exclusively on the urban industrial sector, China has successfully moved millions of workers off agriculture into industrial units without creating an urban crisis.

Africa can achieve this through public-private sector partnerships for strategic national-interest-led investments, given that the productivity of the labor force can be more important than capital.

Overall, for Africa's urgent development needs, that have profound effects on the population, such as infrastructure, health and education, the Chinese manufacturing model of development is as important as the China-Africa partnership.

The author is a research assistant at the Institute for Global Dialogue associated with the University of South Africa. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

China's industrial economy has maintained a momentum of steady and sound growth in the first half of the year as industrial output increased 6.9 percent on a year-on-year basis, the best performance in the past three years.

The growth rate is 0.9 percentage points higher than that in the same period last year, and the performance of enterprises continued to improve, with the main business income and profits growing by 13.5 percent and 22.7 percent in the first five months, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on July 25.

Workers operate a cropper at a workshop of Lovol Heavy Industry Co Ltd in Weifang, Shandong province. Xinhua

"We estimate the industrial economy will maintain steady growth in the second half as the favorable factors have accumulated, especially those facilitated by the supply-side structural reform," said Zheng Lixin, spokesman for the ministry.

Zheng said the ministry will increase its efforts to promote private investment and technical upgrading in industrial sectors, as well as push forward the establishment of a national manufacturing innovation center and smart manufacturing demonstration areas.

"We will boost the development of entrepreneurship and innovation platforms for manufacturing, and pay attention to the new and emerging sectors, such as big data, artificial intelligence and industrial internet."

The output of the manufacturing sector increased 7.4 percent in the first half, 0.5 percentage points faster than the same period last year, ministry data showed. And the output and the investment of the high-end manufacturing sector increased by 13.1 percent and 21.5 percent respectively in the first six months.

"We have been promoting the key projects related to the Made in China 2025 strategy. the C919, the first homegrown large passenger aircraft made its successful flight, and the first domestic aircraft carriers was successfully launched," says Zhang Feng, general engineer of the ministry.

Zhang says the electronic and equipment manufacturing industries are leading the growth of industrial sectors as the output of the two sectors grew by 13.9 percent and 10.9 percent respectively in the first half.

Zhu Sendi, a special consultant for the China Machinery Industry Federation, says: "The manufacturing sector has made a great contribution to the recovery of the real economy. Moreover, the integration of manufacturing sector with internet, artificial intelligence, the internet of things has deepened, which drives the economy's steady growth."

Zhu adds the industrial economy will maintain a growth rate of between 6 percent and 7 percent in the second half.

Moreover, work on cutting overcapacity in the iron and steel sector accelerated with 84.8 percent of the yearly capacity-cutting target achieved in the first five months. The task of wiping out outdated steel production capacity was completed at the end of June.

The country aims to curtail steel production capacity by around 50 million metric tons and coal by at least 150 million tons this year.

fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn

"Investment and trade are the vital economic drive for BRICS countries as it has profound potential," Wang Shouwen, vice-minister of commerce, said at a news conference.

"BRICS took up 23 percent of global GDP in 2016, up from 12 percent a decade ago, but only accounted for 16 percent of world trade, 16 percent of total foreign investment and 12 percent of outbound investment."

Wang said that China will further open its market to other BRICS countries and increase imports, as they are highly complementary in trade.

"For example, agricultural products from Brazil, medical products from India, energy products from Russia and wine from South Africa are welcomed in China," Wang said. "In the past six months China's imports from BRICS countries increased 33 percent year-on-year."

The ministry will host a two-day meeting of BRICS trade ministers in Shanghai on Aug 1-2 before the BRICS Leaders' Meeting to be held in Xiamen, Fujian province, in September.

Wang said while protectionists have a skeptical attitude toward multilateral trade, China hopes the BRICS nations can tackle the skeptics as a united team and build a sufficient trade mechanism. To strengthen trade links, Wang said China will host an international imports exhibition from 2018.

"The exhibition will help with trade and stimulate investment," he added. "We are expecting BRICS countries to play an active role in the exhibition, thus ensuring that more goods can enter the Chinese market."

Zhang Shaogang, director-general of the Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, says Chinese e-commerce platforms have been gaining popularity among companies in other BRICS countries.

"We hope to optimize the e-commerce mechanism, encourage industry interaction and set a good example in e-commerce cooperation between developing countries."

Regarding investment, Wang said BRICS countries have been making progress to facilitate multilateral investment.

"The BRICS proposed action plans to facilitate investment in 2014, and the G20 summit agreed on the guiding principles for global investment," said Wang. "And this year's meeting will make further investment more convenient."

The Chinese market will benefit its BRICS partners in many sectors, such as consumer goods from South Africa and Russia.

Neil Wang, China unit president at the global consultancy Frost& Sullivan, says that China is opening up to different sectors, for example the diamond business.

"China was the major diamond import destination and consumer for South Africa and Russia in 2016, and demand for diamonds has been growing since 2012," he says.

"These two countries are also China's important partners in the Belt and Road Initiative. The trade relationship with them will largely affect China's diamond and jewelry market."

renxiaojin@chinadaily.com.cn

Scientists from the "global south" - Africa and most of Asia - were expected to arrive at Kenya's coastal town of Lamu this week to probe and understand the holistic impact of globalization by retracing the footsteps of sailors who landed along the coast of East Africa hundreds of years ago.

The conference, from July 27 to 29, is the first of its kind and was due to examine the presence in East Africa 600 years ago of seafarers led by Admiral Zheng He, also revealing Africa's proactive contribution to global commerce at that time.

Chapurukha Kusimba, a Kenyan anthropologist based in the United States, says about 25 researchers from various geographic areas that were part of the ancient and historical Indian Ocean and South China Sea trade networks were due to participate.

Discussions would be evidence-based, he says. At least 16 scientific papers were due to be read during the conference.

"This information will contribute to the knowledge repository already in existence detailing the history of China-Africa trading relations. It will assist countries in making informed decisions that are not influenced by a negative narrative," he says.

It is believed that Kenya's coastal waters hold a sunken ship that was part of a mighty fleet commanded by Zheng during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The armada reached Malindi in 1418.

"It is known, based on evidence at sites here, that there was vibrant interaction between Chinese and Africans," says Kusimba. "It is critical to justify this evidence, which will be a firm springboard from which China and Africa can base their relations in the future."

Kusimba, a professor of anthropology in Washington, DC, says the earliest documented trade links between East Asia and the Mediterranean date to around 2,000 BC.

"Africa has been left out of the analysis of these early connections. Consequently, its contribution to early globalization remains under-theorized and often misrepresented. By focusing on the theme, Ancient and Contemporary Relations Between China and East Africa, the conference hopes to illuminate our understanding of early networks of interaction along the Maritime Silk Road during the first and second millennia and how these interactions impacted, and continue to influence, Sino-African relationships," he says.

The scientist has been involved in a seven-year project in Lamu between Kenya - through the National Museums - and scientists from Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong province.

He says the intention of the meeting was to facilitate the exchange of scholarly information in a setting that encouraged not only the presentation of ideas but also discussion of how to do further research through international collaboration, involving experts from different fields as well as students of anthropology, history, art, chemistry, geology and geography. He says it was hoped to build a platform where young researchers would benefit from being mentioned by advanced scholars.

Kusimba says excavations in East Africa employed six young researchers - three Chinese, one Kenyan studying in China and two Americans. The digs have revealed that the coastal communities were innovative and resourceful in trading with the Chinese, Portuguese and Arabs.

"Fruits such as bananas passed through here. Cereals such as sorghum and millet were domesticated here before being traded. There was robust trade between Africans and their counterparts," he says.

Despite not becoming a formal term until the latter part of the 20th century, Kusimba says globalization is a central concern of anthropology and other disciplines that focus on understanding cross-cultural interactions and survival strategies developed through cooperation and competition, as well as isolation and integration.

The Kenya meeting comes at a time when there is heavy discourse around the subject of globalization. President Xi Jinping has been a strong champion of free trade, as exemplified by his speech at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos. The United States, however, appears to be stepping back from globalization and turning inward.

lucymorangi@chinaafrica.co.ke

Victor Sikonina said Madagascar has vast potential that can attract investment in tourism, biodiversity, agriculture and animal husbandry. He said he was impressed with the commitment of the autonomous region's opening-up as China implements the Belt and Road Initiative.

The ambassador spoke during an event showcasing Inner Mongolia's "broad-mindedness and unlimited development potential" on July 21 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.

The region is observing the 70th anniversary of becoming China's first autonomous region. Its energy, metallurgy, construction materials and agricultural sectors are growing rapidly, while its dairy, cashmere, beef and wheat industries are well established.

A tourist takes a photo with an Inner Mongolia's performer in Hohhot. Madagascar's ambassador to China has called for deepening cooperation between his country and North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Xinhua Photo

Last year, Inner Mongolia's GDP reached 1.86 trillion yuan ($276 billion) - an increase of 7.2 percent year-on-year.

"It is my hope that we can further expand our cooperation with Inner Mongolia as well as other regions in terms of tourism," Sikonina said. "We have rich resources for tourism. We have colorful flora and fauna, animal husbandry and agriculture."

He said his country has the highest volume of cattle on the African continent.

"Madagascar's cooperation aspirations are reflected in our national development strategy as well as the plans between China and Africa put forth by President Xi Jinping at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation," the ambassador said.

Like the East African country, Inner Mongolia has vast potential in its booming tourism, agriculture and animal husbandry industries, according to the autonomous region's government, which says it has had more than 100 million head of livestock for 12 consecutive years and leads China's meat, cashmere and wool outputs.

Already, the island nation and Inner Mongolia enjoy investment cooperation. A cashmere factory set up in Madagascar by the autonomous region more than 10 years ago is providing jobs for more than 120,000 people in the African country, the ambassador said.

"It (the factory) has transferred the whole processing technology to Madagascar and has helped us with our capacity building," he said.

He hailed the cooperation between his country and the region, which is regarded as the dairy center of China due to its huge production of milk and other dairy products.

He said the investment by the company from Inner Mongolia has encouraged other enterprises to invest in Madagascar.

"I wish to express my appreciation to the company, which has also facilitated the industrialization of Madagascar. It has also taken an active part in philanthropic activities to help people in need in Madagascar."

The author is a journalist with FrontPage Africa based in Liberia who is visiting China Daily as part of a 10-month China-Africa Press Centre scholarship.

For China Daily

In their efforts to penetrate the lucrative African market, Chinese enterprises are keenly focusing on a strategy of staff localization.

Local people understand the market and the regulatory environment better, a challenge enterprises face in foreign markets. Local labour is also cheaper compared to the imported one.

Holley-Cotec Co (EA) is one of such companies that strongly believe in the power of staff localization in market penetration. While very few Chinese pharmaceutical companies have succeeded in the African market, Holley-Cotec is doing well and expanding. The company has subsidiaries in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeria.

Employees at Twyford Ceramics, a Chinese company based in Kenya that specializes in the manufacture of ceramic tiles. Edith Mutethya / China Daily

According to Godfrey Wachira, Holley-Cotec Co (EA) Ltd sales and marketing manager, locals run the show in all the countries where the company has operations. In Kenya for instance, out of the 20 employees in the company, only two are Chinese nationals - the managing director and the finance director.

Wachira considers this strategy as one of the company's major strengths. "If you don't have the local expertise, you are poised to fail because this is a foreign market and there is a language barrier - among other challenges," he says. "You must know the culture and where the market wants to go in order to break through."

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, a Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and service company, is another firm that keenly focuses on local talent.

According to Adam Lane, the senior public affairs director, Huawei Southern Africa, strong focus on local talent has been an important part of the company's localization strategy, alongside strong partnerships with local customers and suppliers/subcontractors.

"Though we only have a few hundred staff directly employed by Huawei Kenya, we have more than 2000 employees working on our projects through our sub-contractors. These sub-contractors have grown to be major local companies in their own rights," he says.

Lane says Huawei places strong emphasis on recruiting, developing, training and promoting local talent in its operations across Africa. This is in addition to providing a good compensation and benefits package as well as a supportive corporate culture.

The company offers training to its local staff through Huawei East Africa Training Centre in Nairobi, in Chinese universities, online training, and through on-the-job training which includes close mentorship and support from managers and colleagues.

StarTimes, a Chinese broadcasting company is also pursuing a localization strategy. As it builds its customer base, the company employs locals as technicians and provides them with the necessary training.

On the product side, it invests in both international and local programming. This focus on the local market has taken television viewing from an occasional luxury to a daily routine for many Tanzanians.

According to a recent research by McKinsey & Company, out of the 1,000 companies surveyed, 89 percent of the employees were Africans, adding up to more than 300,000 jobs for African workers, scaled up across the more than 10,000 Chinese firms in the continent.

"In trade and manufacturing sectors, the workforce was 82 and 95 percent Africans respectively. Comparing public and private enterprises, SOEs employ an 81 percent African workforce while private companies employ a 92 percent African workforce," the report states.

The report dubbed, Dance of the Lions and Dragons, states that employing Africans leads to lower overall costs. Although China rose to global manufacturing prominence on a large, low-cost labour pool, its payroll costs have been rising and its labour is becoming less price competitive than the Africa's.

"Chinese labour is so expensive these days. Even when we bring some technicians to help set up operations, we try to send them back as soon as possible," a manufacturer told McKinsey & Company.

According to construction firms in Africa, even though Chinese workers tend to be more productive, it is five times more expensive to bring a Chinese worker to Africa compared to hiring a local person. Most of the companies, therefore, prefer employing local people and equipping them with the required skills.

However, the McKinsey & Company report states that only 44 percent of managers at the Chinese-owned companies surveyed were African, hence a challenge to the companies to empower a new generation of African business managers.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn