Why haven’t many West African countries formally joined the Belt and Road Initiative so far?
It might be due to a lack of communication. It’s possible that most of them look at the map and say, oh, we are not involved because the road begins in China and goes to Eastern Europe and to the eastern coast of Africa, targeting only a few countries. So others, namely West African countries, which face the Atlantic Ocean, might think they are not involved.
However, as has been said, nobody is or should be excluded. So if you’re interested, you can also be part of the initiative. Most African countries should participate since they could benefit a great deal. The upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation might be an additional opportunity to communicate better on this initiative and possibly attract more African nations.
Senegal has not signed an agreement so far, but I have to tell you that whenever China invites the Senegalese Government to an event, high authorities of this country attend. The initiative…wants to develop cooperation between Asia, Europe and Africa, not only politically but also commercially, financially, culturally and through infrastructure development. By placing the continent at the forefront of globalization, the initiative is beneficial for Africa in general, and for Senegal in particular.
If production capacity is developed in our country and if large-scale investors come, they generate foreign direct investment that is instrumental to our development process. We can create new jobs because of this development and upgrade our level of expertise, particularly concerning the youth.
To better develop the 21st- Century Maritime Silk Road, it’s important to develop ports because ports help to export goods from manufacturers to international markets. We are at the crossroads of maritime routes. To reach European markets from Dakar, you need less than five days and less than seven days to reach American markets. A container leaving China needs maybe two months to get to the United States, but if the production is done in Senegal, it just needs one week. This is an advantage of delocalizing. That’s why we are supporting this idea in our country.
The black world exists not only in Africa but also in the diaspora brought [to their new countries] during slavery. When we now think of a triangular relation between Africa, Europe and the Americas, we should think differently, not in terms of the former triangular trade, which constituted of black slaves taken from Africa to the Americas, products going from the Americas to Europe and other products from Europe to Africa.
Instead, we should now think of a triangle partnership between the new generations of Africa, new leaders of the Americas and new leaders of Europe committed to transform the former triangular trade into a triangular partnership through new ideas and practices. The Museum of Black Civilization created [in Dakar], thanks to the cooperation with China, will help in better knowing the history and better preparing the new path.
We cannot look at development just in terms of economic growth. If this growth does not benefit all or neglects the sustainable aspect, it is useless. And this is where the human dimension comes in. The ultimate goal is to improve the living standards of the populations.
Our collaboration manifests itself in a number of ways. For example, China welcomes a number of Senegalese students and civil servants of various areas each year. There are also many artistic and cultural exchanges, and Senegalese talent goes to China annually.
China has opened a Cultural Center and a Confucius Institute in Senegal. There is a lot of exchange between the Chinese who come to Senegal and the Senegalese who come to China. This all helps to cement institutional relations, contribute to a better understanding between people and strengthen mutual trust.