China, Africa map out strategic vision for win-win cooperation

(XINHUAFINANCE)ChinesePresidentXiJinpingandAfricanleadersroundedoffalandmarksummithereSaturdaywithaunanimousconsensustoupgradeChina-Africarelationsbackedbyaroadmapforfurtherboostingmutuallybeneficialcooperationandcommondevelopment.

Theleaders'meeting,officialsandobserversfromacrosstheregionsay,hasnotonlyusheredtheworld'ssecond-largestcountryand"mostpromisingcontinent"intoaneweraofcommondevelopment,butonceagaintestifiedtoChina'sbrotherlyfriendshipandgenuinepartnershipwithAfrica.

OneUpgrade,fivepillars,Tenplans

Inhisconcludingremarksatthesummit,thesecondofthe15-year-oldForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC),XiannouncedthatheandthedozensofparticipatingAfricanleadersreachedaunanimousagreementtolifttheChina-Africarelationshiptoacomprehensivestrategiccooperativepartnership.

Theupgrade,proposedbyXionFridayinakeynotespeechattheopeningceremony,camenineyearsafterChinaandAfricancountriesdecidedatthefirstFOCACsummitinBeijingtoestablishanewtypeofChina-Africastrategicpartnershipfeaturingpoliticalequalityandmutualtrust,economicwin-wincooperationandculturalexchange.

Insupportofthehistoricprogress,AfricanleadersendorsedXi'sappealtostrengthenthefive"majorpillars"ofpoliticalequalityandmutualtrust,win-wineconomiccooperation,mutuallyenrichingculturalexchanges,mutualassistanceinsecurity,andsolidarityandcoordinationininternationalaffairs.

Torealizetheupgrade,thetwosidesalsoagreedtocarryout10majorcooperationplansinthenextthreeyearsintheareasofindustrialization,agriculturalmodernization,infrastructureconstruction,financialservices,greendevelopment,tradeandinvestmentfacilitation,povertyreductionandpublicwelfare,publichealth,people-to-peopleexchanges,andpeaceandsecurity.

Theprograms,hepointedoutwhenproposingthemonFriday,willfocusonhelpingAfricancountriesbreakthethreedevelopmentbottlenecksofbackwardinfrastructure,talentshortageandinadequatefund,accelerateindustrializationandagriculturalmodernization,andrealizeindependentandsustainabledevelopment.

Asregardsthelackofskilledpersonnel,XiannouncedthatChinawillestablishanumberofregionalvocationaleducationcentersandseveralcapacity-buildingcollegesforAfrica,train200,000techniciansforAfricancountries,andprovidethecontinentwith40,000trainingopportunitiesinChina.

Meanwhile,ChinawillofferAfricanstudents2,000educationopportunitieswithdegreesordiplomasand30,000governmentscholarships,hesaid,addingthateachyearhiscountrywillalsoinvite200AfricanscholarstovisitChinaand500AfricanyouthstostudyinChinaeachyearandtrain1,000mediaprofessionalsfromAfrica.

Amongmanyothermeasures,Chinawillalsocanceloutstandingdebtsintheformofbilateralgovernmentalzero-interestloansborrowedbytherelevantleastdevelopedAfricancountriesthatmatureattheendof2015,andlaunch200"HappyLife"projectsandspecialprogramsfocusingonwomenandchildren,accordingtothepresident.

The10plans"identifiedareaswhereAfricaisinterestedinandwhichareinourAgenda2063,"commentedNkosazanaDlamini-Zuma,chairwomanoftheAfricanUnion(AU)Commission,whichisaFOCACmemberalongwithChinaand50AfricancountriesthathaveestablisheddiplomatictieswithChina."Thoseareareaswearegoingtocooperateonandtakethisrelationshiptonewheights,"shetoldXinhuainaninterviewonSaturday,addingthatthecooperationwithChinawillenableAfricatobuildthethreenetworksofhighways,railwaysandaviation.

Goodfriends,goodpartners,goodbrothers

Themed"Africa-ChinaProgressingTogether:Win-WinCooperationforCommonDevelopment,"thesummitadoptedadeclarationanda2016-2018actionplanataplenarysessionbeforeSouthAfricanPresidentJacobZuma,whoco-chairedthesummitwithXi,declaredtheclosingofthetwo-daygathering.

WhilechartingthecourseforChina-Africawin-wincooperation,theleaders'meeting,whichXidescribedas"ahistoricconference"and"acompletesuccess,"hasalsobeenwidelylaudedasyetanotherembodimentoftheAsiannation'sbrotherlyfriendshipwithitsAfricanpartnersandcommitmenttocommondevelopment.

"InconductingChina'srelationswithAfrica,weadheretotheprinciplesofsincerity,practicalresults,affinityandgoodfaithandupholdthevaluesoffriendship,justiceandsharedinterests,"XireaffirmedFridayinhiskeynotespeech,whichwaspunctuatedbyroundsofapplause.TheprinciplesarealsoenshrinedinChina'ssecondAfricapolicypaper,whichwasreleasedduringthesummit.

ItstatesthatChinaandAfrica"havealwaysbelongedtoacommunityofsharedfuture"and"havealwaysbeengoodfriendswhostandtogetherthroughthickandthin,goodpartnerswhosharewealandwoe,andgoodbrotherswhofullytrusteachotherdespitechangesintheinternationallandscape."InatellingsignofBeijing'scommitmenttotheprinciples,theChinesepresidentmetwithmorethan40Africanleaderseitherseparatelyoringroupsonthesidelinesofthesummit,comparingnoteswiththemontherelationsbetweenChinaandtheirrespectivecountriesandotherissuesofcommonconcern.

Meanwhile,inordertoensuresmoothimplementationofthe10majorcooperationplans,Xiannouncedthathiscountrywillproffer60billionU.S.dollarsoffundingsupport,whichcomprises5billiondollarsofgrantandinterest-freeloans,35billiondollarsofpreferentialloansandexportcredit,5billiondollarsofadditionalcapitalfortheChina-AfricaDevelopmentFundandtheSpecialLoanfortheDevelopmentofAfricanSMEseach,andaChina-Africaproductioncapacitycooperationfundwiththeinitialcapitalof10billiondollars.

Colonization Accusations

"ACOMPLETEMISCONCEPTION"WhilewelcomingChina'ssteadfastcommitmenttoandfreshmeasuresonadvancingitsinteractionwiththeircontinent,AfricanleadersandobservershavealsojoinedthechorusofvoicesagainsttheclaimthatChinaiscolonizingAfrica.XistruckachordwithmanyAfricanleaders,includingDlamini-Zuma,whenhesaidinFriday'skeynotespeechthat"ChinastronglybelievesthatAfricabelongstotheAfricanpeopleandthatAfricanaffairsshouldbedecidedbytheAfricanpeople."

Africashouldbegivenspacetochartitsowndestiny,echoedtheAUCommissionchairwoman."AfricabelongstoAfricansandwemustbeallowedtochartourowndevelopmentpath."AdjiAyassor,ministerofstateintheTogoleseMinistryofEconomy,FinanceandDevelopmentPlanning,toldXinhuaonFridaythattheChinesepresident'skeynotespeechtold"thetruthaboutthecooperationbetweenChinaandAfrica."

ContrarytowhatsomeclaimintheWest,China"isnotcolonizingAfrica,"hesaid."WebelievethatisthebestwaytodevelopAfrica....It(China)istakingarealpathofAfrica'sdevelopment.Itisarealcooperation."Ayassor'sremarkswereinlinewithwhatZimbabweanPresidentRobertMugabe,whoalsoholdstherotatingAUchair,saidinhisspeechattheopeningceremony.

WhilethankingChinaforitsunconditionalsupportforAfrica,heslammedactionsbytheWestthathavederailedprogressintheworld'ssecondlargestcontinent."Chinahasneverbeenourcolonizer,andwhilesomedetractorsallegethatourcooperationwithBeijingiscommerciallydriven,therealityonthegrounddoesnotconformtosuchadistortedview,"Mugaberemarked.KenyanPresidentUhuruKenyatta,whowasinJohannesburgforthesummit,alsolashedoutatthevariousinsinuationsthatChina'sintentionsinAfricacouldbesimilartothoseofthecolonialists,tellingreportersSaturdaythat"theperceptionthatChinaisthenewcolonizerisacompletemisrepresentationofBeijing'sactivitieshereinAfrica."

"AchievementofmutualbenefitsisthebasisofSino-Africacooperation,"Kenyattapointedout."Idon'tthinkthatapartnerwhoishelpingusfightpovertyandotherdevelopmentchallengescanbecalledacolonizer."WhatChinaisdoinginAfricaiswhatthecolonialistsfailedtodointhepast,namelyhelpAfricaoutofpoverty,hestressed.

"Chinaisreadytohelpusdevelopandmeetoursocioeconomicobjectiveswithoutimposingitsagendaonus.ThisistheoutstandingaspectofourcooperationwithChina."