No weakening in China-Africa relations – Foreign Minister
There will be no weakening in the relationship that exists between China and Africa, the Foreign Minister of China, Mr. Wang Yi has assured.
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“China and Africa are a closely knit community with a shared future. Our cooperation is mutual health between two brothers. No matter the international situation or how the world economy may evolve, there will be no weakening in China’s support for Africa. What distinguishes China-Africa cooperation is that China always keeps its word,” he stated.
Mr. Yi was speaking in a press conference held on the sidelines of the Fifth Session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Wednesday.
He was responding to a question from a Tanzanian journalist, Ms. Theopista Fridbert Nsanzugwanko, on the outcome of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (CFOCAC) summit in Johannesburg last year and whether there were any programmes this year to enhance China-Africa cooperation.
Some of the journalists at the press conference. Picture by Edmund Smith-Asante
Implementation
Mr. Yi who is also a member of the 17th and 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said in the more than one year since Johannesburg the summit outcomes were being implemented in a swift and all round way.
He said the outcome of the $60 billion funding support that China promised to Africa had been disbursed, while the Djibouti-Addis Ababa railway had been completed and the Mombasa-Nairobi railway in Kenya soon to be completed.
He indicated that steady progress was also being made in a lot of projects all across Africa, adding, “Responding to Africa’s needs, China-Africa relations is undergoing three shifts.”
Mr. Yi said the three shifts were from government driven to market driven, from trade in goods to cooperation on production capacity and from engineering contracts to investments and operations.
“These three shifts will provide new momentum and opportunities for Africa’s sustainable development. There is no problem whatsoever in China-Africa cooperation. The only thing is that we need to speed up work and undertake more cooperation in projects.
“Just as China was Africa’s most sincere friend in its quest of national independence and liberation, so China will be Africa’s most reliable partner in speeding up industrialisation and agricultural modernisation and boosting its capacity for home grown development,” Mr Yi assured.
Nuclear weapons will not bring security
Other issues discussed at the press conference included security in the Korean Peninsula with the testing of missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the future of China-US relations.
Mr. Yi stated that China was not in favour of the testing of the missiles by North Korea and asked them to stop the exercise to reduce the tension that was building up in the region.
Last Monday North Korea launched four missiles in its reaction to the joint US’ - South Korea military exercises, considering it as the preparation for war.
But Mr. Yi said the missile tests and the military exercises were resulting in an increase in tension like two "accelerating trains coming toward each other."
To prevent that from happening he said that "China's suggestion is, as a first step, for North Korea to suspend nuclear and missile activities, and for the US and South Korea to also suspend large-scale military drills."
Saying there was still a chance for peace in the peninsula; the Chinese Foreign Minister stated “Holding nuclear weapons won't bring security, using military force won't be a way out.”
US China relations
Touching on US-China relations following the assumption of power of President Donald Trump, Mr. Yi said intense communication was ongoing with the US and that the two sides were having fruitful talks on cooperation based on mutual respect and cooperation for a win-win relationship.
“China will develop stronger relations with the US. The importance of China-Us relations is that preserving the relationship is in the interest of China and the world. But we need to rise above our individual systems. There is a compelling reason for working together. Our interests are intertwined,” he said.
Adding that it had been 38 years since China and the US resumed diplomatic relations, Mr. Yi called on both countries to change their old ways of doing things so that at 40 they could develop a more fruitful relationship.
Other global issues
Some other key issues that received mention at the press conference were the situation in the South China Sea, BREXIT and an upcoming Belt and Road conference in May in China.
The Foreign Minister assured that the China Sea issue had come down visibly and that the directly concerned countries had returned to dialogue to settle their disputes.
“China will never allow the peace in the region to be disturbed again,” he said.
He also said the challenges posed by BREXIT would turn up as an opportunity for the EU to become more matured.
On the Belt and road conference Mr. Yi said although it was China’s initiative it belonged to the world and it had been successful because it met the aspirations of the countries involved.
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