In a recent interview with #ChinaPerspectives, Ye Hailin, dean of China-Africa Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Chinese people often say, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Therefore, the fundamental purpose of promoting industrial cooperation in Africa is to assist Africa in its own industrialization.

This is aimed at resolving the longstanding imbalance between industrial and agricultural sectors in Africa that originated during the Western colonial era, thereby preventing African countries from becoming mere markets for Western industrial products. China has sufficient experience, technology and funding to help Africa achieve this goal.