General

In the past February, the 36th Summit of the African Union (AU) was held at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.     China-Africa relations have entered a new era of building a high-level China-Africa community of shared future. Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation Report.

Trust each other and move forward side by side

As an important organization for regional cooperation, the African Union has played an increasingly important role and influence in relevant affairs in recent years, and China and the African Union have become increasingly trusted partners.

The current AU Summit focuses highly on the construction of free trade zones on the African continent. At present, the first two stages of the three-stage negotiation of the Free Trade Area Agreement on the African continent have been basically completed. The third phase of the review of the Digital Trade Protocol is being intensified to promote intra-African digital trade. In response to this, China and Africa are also accelerating the expansion of in-depth cooperation in areas such as the digital economy. Some data show that China has contributed more than 20% to Africa's economic growth for many years in a row. Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation Report.

The high-level and intergovernmental interactions between China and Africa are frequent. In January of this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was invited to visit the five African countries and the headquarters of the African Union, conspired with African leaders and foreign ministers, and witnessed the signing of a series of important cooperation agreements. Qin Gang also attended the completion ceremony of the headquarters project of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which was built with Chinese assistance. In February this year, Ambassador Hu Changchun, the head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, met with the Secretary-General of the African Free Trade Area, Mene, at the headquarters of the African Union. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the progress of the construction of the African Free Trade Area and China-Africa trade cooperation. Hu Changchun said that China is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with the Secretariat, implement the "nine projects" of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and better benefit the people of China and Africa.

China has always been based on Africa's actual needs, brought tangible benefits to the African people through China-Africa cooperation, and achieved better and faster common development. The trade volume between China and Africa is expected to exceed 260 billion US dollars in 2022. As the media in Rwanda commented, "China has been Africa's largest trading partner for many years in a row. The partnership between China and Africa will help African countries achieve development goals through the African Union's 2063 Agenda and the African continent's free trade area."

At the same time, China took the lead in supporting the African Union to join the G20. This will help the African Union and African countries play a greater role in the global governance system.

Foreign medical aid wins hearts and minds

  This year coincides with the 60th anniversary of China's dispatch of foreign aid medical teams. Since China sent the first foreign aid medical team to Algeria in 1963, China has sent 30000 medical team members to 76 countries and regions around the world, and 290 million patients have been treated. Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation reported.

Medical aid to Africa has always been an important part of China's foreign medical aid. As the continent with the largest concentration of developing countries in the world, Africa has many shortcomings in the field of public health: inadequate infrastructure such as hospitals and medical equipment, lack of professional medical personnel, insufficient investment in hospitals, epidemic prevention and public health systems, and relatively lack of medical training institutions. The Chinese foreign aid medical team not only delivers medicine, but also imparts skills. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in 2020, China will provide the African Union and African countries with anti epidemic materials and vaccines as soon as possible; Under the guidance of Chinese doctors, surgeons in Ethiopia have mastered laparoscopic operation technology; With the assistance of Chinese workers, the headquarters building of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention was established, and a number of comprehensive hospitals, mobile hospitals, specialized diagnosis and treatment centers, and traditional Chinese medicine centers were built and operated in many African countries. Since 2000, China has assisted in the construction of more than 130 hospitals and clinics in Africa, improving the public health infrastructure conditions of African countries.

Efficient co construction of the "the Belt and Road"

It is understood that China and the African Union signed a memorandum of understanding in 2021 to establish a coordination mechanism for the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" cooperation. Jointly building the "the Belt and Road" initiative will help achieve the main goals of the African Union's 2063 Agenda, Huacheng Import and Export Data Watch reported.

Africa is an active and important participant in the "the Belt and Road". Among the 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, 52 countries and the AU Commission have signed cooperation documents with China to jointly build the "the Belt and Road". This year marks the tenth anniversary of the "the Belt and Road" initiative. Through the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", China has continuously provided support for infrastructure construction projects in African countries, and African countries have benefited greatly from it. The joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" between China and Africa has advanced with the times in the rapid development, and also has new contents and characteristics.

Clean energy has become a new field of China Africa "the Belt and Road" cooperation. For example, the Kagulu Kabasa Hydropower Station in Angola, the Adama Wind Farm in Ethiopia and the 233 MW photovoltaic power station in Algeria built by Chinese enterprises are respectively the largest hydropower, wind power and photovoltaic projects in Africa.

China has also actively helped Africa build digital infrastructure. Since 2000, China has helped Africa build 150000 kilometers of communication backbone networks, and network services cover nearly 700 million user terminals.

The China Africa joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" is carrying out all-round cooperation and is moving towards high-quality construction and development.

  To promote the construction of a high-level China-Africa community of shared future, Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation Report.