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
Thecover.cn:
Would you please introduce the China-Africa infrastructure cooperation? Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected cooperation? Are you considering new models for future cooperation? Thanks.
Wu Peng:
I will take your questions, thank you. Indeed, infrastructure is a traditional and much-watched area in China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, which indicates infrastructure cooperation has made great gains. The projects implemented by China's enterprises have effectively improved infrastructure connectivity in Africa and boosted local social and economic development. Just now, we listed relative data and projects, showing what we have achieved there. For example, since the FOCAC was set up, China has used various funds to help African countries build more than 10,000 km of railway and 100,000 km of highway. We mentioned this just now.
It is true that COVID-19 has disrupted China-Africa personnel exchanges and cooperation. However, we didn't press the "pause button" and managed to continue the implementation of China-Africa projects amid the pandemic, and a batch of major projects have made great progress. For example, the passenger flows and cargo volumes of the Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Kenya and the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway have increased sharply amid the pandemic, as the flow of personnel and trucks was inconveniently limited due to cross-border COVID-19 measures. This proves that infrastructure plays the role of the artery amid the COVID-19 pandemic and makes a great contribution to the economic development and pandemic prevention and control in the two countries and in Africa. China's government encourages enterprises to enhance infrastructure cooperation with African countries, and to seize new opportunities to extend industrial chains and cultivate new models based on the consolidation of traditional advantages. For instance, given the strained financial situation in some African countries, many Chinese enterprises launched infrastructure projects under PPP (public-private partnership) and BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) models, such as Nigeria's Lekki Deep Sea Port and Kenya's airport expressway. Thus, China encourages and supports its enterprises to transform and upgrade cooperation via new models.
At the upcoming FOCAC conference, we will roll out new measures for cooperation in our traditional area of infrastructure to further promote mutually beneficial and win-win China-Africa cooperation. Thank you.
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