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China a leading nation in aiding Africa: Italian expert
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-11 05:32

ROME: China has become a leader in providing aid to Sub-Saharan Africa  while many western countries have lagged behind on their financial pledges, an Italian expert says.

Luca La Bella, a expert on China with Rome's International Studies Center, told Xinhua in a recent interview that in recent years "global bodies such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have not met their goals in support programs to African development."

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La Bella said, however, that a strategic Sino-African partnership is being consolidated due to China's continuous aid to Africa.

Aid to Africa always is a global issue and the just-concluded Group of Eight summit also kept an eye on assistance to the continent.

The African Union, as the representative of African countries, was invited to take part in the G8 summit with other emerging economies.

Poverty, water and food security, infrastructure and peace in Africa were all priority themes discussed at the meeting.

La Bella said Africa has been on the agenda of China's foreign policy in the past 10 years. The global economic recession has not jeopardized China's high liquidity levels, guaranteeing financial aid to African countries, La Bella said.

"China is playing a positive and central role in the sub-Saharan countries," La Bella said. "It understands the priority of investing in African development without setting political conditions."

China's ties with Africa has thus turned out to be more successful than that of the industrialized nations.

"Considering the number of contracts signed, China is a global leader in aiding Africa. Chinese African policy has been coherent and active," La Bella said.

Meanwhile, Africa is a good export market for Chinese goods, la Bella said.

For Africa, China's investments and high liquidity are a healing method. But it's not only a question of economic ties, La Bella said.

Chinese aid to Africa also paves the way for greater diplomacy and new international relations, La Bella said.