China to upgrade strategic partnership with Africa
China is expected to propose an upgrading of it's strategic partnership with Africa to better reflect the dynamics of current realities and guide future growth of the relationship at the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation FOCAC Summit in South Africa.
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The Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr Wang Yi, who made the announcement on Thursday, said " China will put forward a comprehensive package of new measures to support African development.
These measures are also meant to push for better and faster growth of China-Africa relations to the benefit of both peoples.
Mr Wang made the announcement during a meeting with African foreign and trade ministers as a prelude to the Sixth FOCAC Summit which opens in Johannesburg, South Africa on Friday.
The summit, expected to be attended by 50 African heads of state and government delegations is on the theme "China-Africa Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development".
Mr Wang said "China-Africa relations now stand at a new historical starting point and our cooperation faces rare historic opportunities"
Outcome of FOCAC 2012
Briefing the meeting on the outcome of the Beijing Summit, Mr Wang said the Chinese government offered $31.52 billion of credit lines to African countries in the past three years, exceeding its $20 billion commitment made at the 2013 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation meeting in Beijing.
In addition, the stock of China' non-financial direct investment in Africa reached $32.32 billion by the end of 2014.
Investments and Industrialisation
Mr Wang said over 3,000 Chinese companies were operating in Africa with Chinese investment on the continent growing much faster than trade with Africa.
"China-Africa cooperation in Industrialisation has delivered new fruits", he explained, adding that "China fully supports African countries in removing the two major bottlenecks, namely backward infrastructure and inadequate personnel ".
As part of China commitment at the 2012 Beijing FOCAC, it pledged to train 30,000 professionals and provide 18,000 scholarships in addition to help build 21 cultural and vocational skills training facilities in Africa.
That, Mr Wang reported that China had over-delivered on its commitment over the past three years.
Livelihood Projects
The Chinese Foreign Minister reported that cooperation between the two sides in livelihood projects had made new headway.
Five new agricultural technology demonstration centres had be constructed while agricultural experts had been sent to the continent with Chinese companies being encouraged to invest in the agriculture sector.
Over the past three years, China also sent 1,771 medical workers to 32 African countries, carries out a campaign dubbed "Brightness Action" to provide cataract treatment in 10 African countries.