Solidifying Friendship
The 50th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between China and Benin is an opportunity to advance bilateral ties to a new high
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between China and Benin. During this period, ChinaBenin relations have grown from strength to strength. On this special occasion, ChinAfrica interviewed Simon Pierre Adovelande, Beninese ambassador to China, to hear his viewpoints about the development of China-Benin relations. Edited excerpts of the interview are as follows:
ChinAfrica: How do you view the relations between China and Benin over the past half century?
Simon Pierre Adovelande: I think Benin and China have enjoyed a mutual friendship based on trust, respect and win-win cooperation during the past 50 years. We were fortunate that our leaders, Chinese President
Xi Jinping and Beninese President Patrice Talon, had the opportunity to meet in Beijing in September 2018 to bring this relationship to another level.
That meeting was a turning point in this relationship and brought China and Benin on the same page regarding the main challenges the world is facing today.
Our two leaders presented a roadmap for the relationship between our two countries. In terms of prospects, the relationship between China and Benin is mature, and we have three frameworks that are being used to develop it; the first one being our bilateral relationship, followed by the framework of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and lastly, the Belt and Road Initiative. With this, we have the tools that allow each party to play their role in those frameworks and be more efficient in terms of achieving results.
What do you think of the nine programmes proposed at the Eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference held in Dakar, Senegal, in 2021? In your opinion, how important is it to align them with the Government Action Programme 2021-2026 of Benin?
The FOCAC Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024) is the result of a good consultation between the two sides. The last FOCAC meeting has seen the convergence in points of view of the two parties. During the preparation, each party presented its needs, challenges and perspective on this cooperation, and then when we gathered in Dakar, the outcome was really a result of successful engagement, a frank consultation. This action plan addresses the needs and challenges that the continent of Africa wants to tackle through this cooperation framework. For me, the Dakar Action Plan shows the maturity of FOCAC. It shows the improvement based on the lessons learned from the past 20 years of FOCAC.
Now coming to the Beninese government’s action plan for 2021-2026, it is based on three major pillars. The first one is the strengthening of democracy, rule of law and good governance. Our second pillar is the continuation of structural transformation of the economy. What I mean by structural transformation is to make the government more responsible in terms of expenditure, and in terms of the execution of the budget. Finally, the third pillar is the improvement of the wellbeing of the people.
The Dakar Action Plan reflects the three pillars of our action plan of the government, and that makes it something unique, successfully coordinated, and easy to implement to get results.
China has witnessed a lot of changes in the past over 10 years. Which ones have impressed you the most? What’s the best way to describe these changes?
I see three major transformations that really impress me. The first one is the fight against pollution, especially air pollution. I remember when I came to China six years ago, we had to wear masks not because of COVID-19, but because of pollution during the winter. But after two years, we started to see the beauty of the blue sky of Beijing. That is impressive.
The second one is the preservation of the environment. When you travel around the country, you can see how clean the country is and how the cities are able to improve the environment. They are preserving the ecological system of the country. That is also something very important. It feels like there is a competition among the cities for being greener.
The third one is the fight to bring people out of poverty. Because I am an economist by profession, we’re used to talking about fighting against poverty. When you say you fight against poverty, it means people who are in poverty need to accept their condition, and afterwards, you are going to help them. But what I learned here in