By Joseph S. Margai in Beijing, China
Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister, Wang Yi, has stated that the relationship between China and Africa is unbreakable and maintained that that both parties would “remain friends forever”.
Minister Wang, who was speaking at a presser recently at the Media Center in Beijing, on the sidelines of the First Session of China’s 13th National People’ Congress (NPC), the country’s parliament, also said China will always stand up for small and weak countries in the world in order to help them develop into a self-reliant nations.
He said China attaches particular importance to the needs and aspirations of Africa and would always support Africa.
“China will cooperate with Africa in order to fight against threats of terrorism, pirates and natural disasters. We will step up in African countries and boost cooperation,” he said, adding that Africa is an important part of the efforts to build a community with shared future for all and sundry.
He said in 2018, China will host four diplomatic events, which include The Boao Forum for Asia, The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao summit, The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the First China International Import Expo.
“At the end of last year, President Xi Jinping announced ten development plans between China and Africa. The most salient future is that we want a transition from a trade pattern that is so far dominated by resource product to more investments and industrial cooperation,” he said.
He said by encouraging more Chinese businesses to invest in Africa, China wants to help the continent boost its capacity for development.
“These plans cannot come at a better time than they designed precisely to help Africa deal with the new challenges from the international economic situation. Whenever China makes a promise, it always delivers. Just three months after the China-Africa summit we have got into touch with over 20 African countries to follow up on this summit’s outcomes,” he said.
He added that a number of already harvest items will soon materialized and the China-African Fund for Industrialization Cooperation is already up and running.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said for many years there were all kinds of comments about China-African cooperation in the world, but the African people know the best, adding that at last year’s summit many African leaders stated publicly that China has never colonized Africa but China has helped Africa to emerge from poverty, realized development and has brought new life to Africa.
“They also said that Africa has been searching for a truly dependent partner with common interests, eventually, they found such a partner in China. These statements struck the minds of many in the audience and in my view, the African leaders spoke the minds of the African people,” he recalled.
