Relations with China prove fruitful

THE INCREASING relations between China and African states is providing a solution to the continent’s glaring infrastructure deficit through the massive roll-out of construction and maintenance projects.

Speaking to African News Agency in Pretoria, on the sidelines of a symposium hosted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the China-Africa Institute, Dr Patrick Ibembe, special adviser of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, said Kampala had benefited massively from the “win-win co-operation” with Beijing.

“Africa has got a funding backlog of $31 billion (R453bn) per year on infrastructure alone. It is China that has come up with frameworks – flexible frameworks to support this infrastructure deficit.

“We have had a lot of projects, infrastructure projects being rolled out in roads, dams, railways and others. They have done well in our infrastructure,” said Ibembe.

“The Chinese have also done well in political exchanges, in cultural exchanges, and the scientific exchanges alongside the good diplomatic exchanges.

“When Uganda got its independence in 1962, China was the first country to recognise it”

He said Beijing’s “non-interference and respect for the dignity of African states was one of the pillars where they are scoring highly”.

The conference in Pretoria was aimed at discussing issues including building governance capacity, urbanisation, industrial development, innovation and social policies deemed necessary to address scourges of poverty, inequality and unemployment.

Professor Crain Soudien, chief executive of the HSRC told the symposium that the gloomy unemployment and inequality figures released by Statistics SA proved that greater collaboration was required to provide opportunities for states to address their citizens’ tribulations.

Department of Science and Innovation’s deputy director-general Daan du Toit said South Africa “enjoys a significant strategic partnership with China in science and technology and other domains”.

“There is sometimes a misconception that science and innovation is all about astronomy, biotechnology, robotics nanotechnology etc but science and technology is first and foremost about social sciences and humanities.

“If we are going to understand the ability of science to impact society, we need to draw an incredible knowledge resource offered by the social sciences,” said Du Toit.