Trade and economic cooperation between China and African countries is likely
to continue expediential growth with Chinese President Hu Jintao's proposed new
type of China-Africa strategic partnership.
UN Habitat executive director Anna Tibaijuka
(C) receives a statue representing a Chinese drum as a present from
Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) at the UN compound in Nairobi, April 28,
2006. [Reuters] |
"We hope there will be more
tourists and business people from China. This will help us create more jobs for
local people who are in great need after four years of conflict," Ambassador
Alain Nicaise Papatchi Coffie from the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire to China told
Xinhua on Saturday.
China is adding to its planned trade and economic cooperation with Africa by
moving from mainly being an aid giver to an opportunity provider.
Boosting tourism and investment are two ways China hopes to help local social
and economic development.
Chinese tourists visiting Africa 2005 doubled to more than 110,000, according
to statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. There are now 16
African countries on China's list of tourist destinations for Chinese citizens.
Chinese trade and investment has helped African countries develop local
industry, increase employment and improve living standards with cheap but
quality Chinese television sets, medicine, motorcycles and clothes.
Trade between China and African countries increased from 10 million U.S.
dollars in the 1950s' to nearly 39.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2005. African
exports to China soared 10 times to 21 billion U.S. dollars.
Meanwhile, rich resources and market potential in Africa coupled with Chinese
practical know-how have helped the modernization of both China and Africa.
Chinese direct investment to Africa has reached 1.25 billion U.S. dollars and
more than 800 Chinese-funded companies have been established in Africa.
China's soaring economy fueled the country's aid program to African
countries, which involves more than 800 projects ranging from schools,
hospitals, gyms and even parliament buildings.
China has reduced 10.5 billion yuan (about 1.3 billion U.S. dollars) worth of
debt of 31 African countries so far. It also granted zero-tariff treatment on
190 categories of African export goods.
Reiterating China's commitment to providing assistance to African countries,
Hu said while addressing Nigerian parliament earlier this week that China will
pay greater attention to knowledge-based cooperation with Africa.
"China will make continued efforts to extend our cooperation in trade to
investment, technology and project contracting, and to encourage companies and
other economic entities to join our governments in conducting economic
cooperation," he said.
At a China-Africa summit meeting scheduled in Beijing this autumn, China will
announce new measures on expanding cooperation with African countries.
"China will continue to work with Africa and make innovative efforts in
keeping with the trend of the times to widen China-Africa cooperation, enrich
and inject new vitality into it," the Chinese president said.