Allegations of neocolonialism ill-intentioned

These projects have substantially improved the lives of African people and facilitated African countries' socioeconomic development, as well as providing convenience to Western companies in Africa.

China was a victim of colonial and semi-colonial rule in modern times and never wants to impose that on others. It has been a staunch supporter of African countries' pursuit of independence and efforts to safeguard sovereignty.

Unlike Western countries, it has never attached political strings to African countries, never interfered in their internal affairs nor made empty promises in its cooperation with Africa.

As such, the allegations of neocolonialism are purely ill-intentioned. As to other criticisms that China only wants to exploit resources in African countries and its projects in Africa have polluted the environment, they are unreasonable and unfounded.

It is known to all that the United States for years was the biggest consumer of African oil. It imported more than a quarter of the continent's total oil exports until 2010, when it began to boost shale oil production at home.

China's imports of African oil only began to pick up after the US cut its own imports of sub-Saharan African oil in 2012. Energy cooperation between China and Africa has always aimed at bringing win-win outcomes and helped promote the continent's economic development.

According to the World Bank, an extra $93 billion is needed every year over the next decade to bridge the infrastructure deficit in Africa, but Western countries alone cannot meet that huge demand due to their capital restrictions.

China has accumulated both rich experience and abundant production capacity in this regard, and its infrastructure projects in the continent has always taken ecological conservation into due consideration.

The China-funded standard gauge railway linking Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya is a good example in this regard with a series of measures being adopted to protect wildlife sanctuaries from pollution.

In fact, Africa is big enough for China and the West to jointly pursue initiatives with outcomes that benefit African countries as well as themselves. Instead of throwing mud at China, some in the West should improve their engagement with continent in a more meaningful way.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. wanghui@chinadaily.com.cn

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