Early festive gifts from China’s Xi
IF it weren’t for his cleanshaven face and a black suit, you could easily have mistaken Chinese president Xi Jinping for Father Christmas.
Xi left African leaders beaming after he announced that China would dish out $60-billion (about R860-billion) to fund the industrialisation and development of Africa.
This comes after China and South Africa signed 23 agreements this week between government departments, stateowned companies and private companies, worth R94-billion.
During the opening of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Sandton on Friday, Xi announced 10 plans to be implemented in the next three years.
China will, among things:
Donate R2-billion for emergency food aid for African countries affected by drought;
Set aside $60-million funding for the AU’s African Standby Force;
Write off the debt of poor African countries;
Help to build roads, railways, ports and airports; and
Construct five transportation centres.
Xi said the $60-billion included “$5-billion grants and zero interest loans, $35-billion of preferential facilities and export credit lines and concessional loans on more favourable terms”.
The Chinese committed to training 200 000 African “technical personnel”, building industrial parks and sending their experts to assist African countries as they embark on industrialisation programmes.
China would fund agricultural development projects in 100 villages around the continent. These projects would be implemented under the guidance of 30 teams of Chinese experts.
Xi said his government would also encourage more Chinese businesses to invest in Africa.
“China will expand its currency swap operations with African countries and encourage Chinese financial institutions to set up more branches in Africa and increase investment and financial co-operation with Africa in multiple ways to provide financial support and services for Africa’s industrialisation and modernisation drive,” he said.
In what sounded like a response
other MUSIC TO THEIR EARS: First ladies Thobeka Zuma and Peng Liyuan listen to the national anthem at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to the criticism about China’s growing influence in Africa, Xi said his country wanted a politically equal relationship with the continent — where no partner would impose their values on the other.
“China supports [the principle to] resolve African issues by Africans in an African way.”
Zimbabwean president and current chairman of the AU Robert Mugabe could not hide his excitement.
“Here is a man representing a country once called poor. A country which never was our coloniser . . . he is doing what we expected those who colonised us yesterday to do. If they have ears let them hear.
“[Xi] is a God-sent person. May God bless China and its people,” said Mugabe.
President Jacob Zuma said Xi’s announcement would take ties between China and Africa to “the highest level”.
“The strategic partnership and co-operation between Africa and China is an important instrument towards the achievement of our development goals,” said Zuma.