SCIO press conference on 'China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals' white paper
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 30, 2021
Jiemian News:
In recent years, Chinese and African companies have jointly built many cross-border e-commerce platforms, via which African products like coffee can enter ordinary Chinese families. Will the digital economy become a new highlight of China-Africa cooperation? What is your view on the prospects for this area of cooperation? Thank you.
Wu Peng:
You must have closely followed the situation of China-Africa cooperation. The questions are well to the point. Indeed, the digital economy has become a new highlight of China-Africa cooperation. In recent years, China has made great efforts in promoting China-Africa cooperation in the digital economy. By doing so, China is helping African countries eliminate the digital divide and seize the opportunity of an information revolution.
First of all, infrastructure is essential in the development of the digital economy and e-commerce. Here I'm talking about the "new types of infrastructure." China has made significant contributions to building digital infrastructure in Africa. Our companies have utilized various funds to help African countries with fiber-optic cable projects and wireless telecommunications projects. Instead of just sitting in the office, our engineers and technicians have kept working in the wild, including valleys, fields, and mountains. Kilometer by kilometer, they have worked together with their African peers to build plenty of digital infrastructure projects on the continent.
A possible stereotype about Africa is that the continent is less advanced in developing the digital economy. Well, this is true. However, with a large young population and relatively high internet and mobile phone coverage, Africa has enormous potential in this area. As for the need of African countries for infrastructure such as the servers providing cloud services, China has developed many digital centers and intelligent cities in response to their requests.
Another concern of African countries is how to advance China-Africa cooperation via the digital economy and e-commerce platforms. This September, we launched the African Products Online Promoting Season. The three-month campaign has achieved satisfying results. Many ambassadors of African countries to China promoted their local products on e-commerce platforms, such as oranges from South Africa, coffee from Ethiopia and Tanzania, and chili peppers from Rwanda. Such promotional activities have stimulated a surge in consumption, though the volume may not be as massive as during the Singles' Day shopping spree, yet good enough considering the economic sizes of those countries. In my view, significant progress has already been made.
E-commerce platforms have also helped featured products from Africa to access the Chinese market gradually. I once saw Tanzanian coffee served at a Starbucks in Beijing. For me, it was a delightful surprise. What's more, Hunan, a Chinese province where local dishes are quite spicy and full of chili peppers, has signed an agreement with Rwanda in Africa on trade in dried chili peppers. Rwanda is a small country by area, and its chili peppers have a unique flavor. In addition to planting chili peppers on its land, Rwanda has also rented more fields in neighboring countries to supply Hunan with enough chili peppers. The need for chili peppers in a single province in China is beyond the capacity of Rwanda. All the above are examples of new business opportunities triggered by new types of the digital economy for African countries. Of course, the digital economy covers many other areas, including digital currency and online payments. Chinese companies have also contributed a lot in these areas in Africa. As far as I know, 60% to 70% of the mobile payment services of one African country are provided by a platform jointly launched by African and Chinese companies. More and more new business forms, including mobile payment systems and digital currency services, have developed in Africa, making here a continent full of hope and potential to give play to its late starter's advantage and achieve leapfrog development in new areas.
Thank you.
Shou Xiaoli:
Thank you, Mr. Wu Jianghao and Mr. Wu Peng. And thank you to all journalists for their participation. Today's press conference is hereby concluded. Goodbye.
Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Wang Qian, Wang Yiming, Zhang Rui, Liu Jianing, Huang Shan, Gong Yingchun, Ma Yujia, Wang Yanfang, Yuan Fang, Zhu Bochen, Chen Xia, Li Xiao, Li Huiru, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.
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