As the Communist Party of China (CPC) was holding its 19th National Congress, African media outlets look forward to an even brighter future for China-Africa cooperation. [Special Coverage]
Nigeria's Peoples Daily newspaper wrote in a recent editorial that under Chinese President Xi Jinping's leadership, China has "chalked up unprecedented achievements that have affected profoundly not only the Chinese people but the rest of the world."
Looking back on China's achievements over the past five years, it noted that the country has created more than 13 million new urban jobs annually and its average contribution to global growth was about 30 percent from 2013 to 2016, the largest among all countries.
The editorial also said the "brotherly and friendly cooperation between China and Africa has seen a great leap forward" over the past five years.
China and Africa have enjoyed booming cooperation in recent years, with massive Chinese-built infrastructure projects mushrooming in Africa, especially since the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in December 2015, where Beijing announced 10 major cooperation plans to help Africa realize industrialization and agricultural modernization and promised 60 billion U.S. dollars as funding support.
Major projects commissioned since then include the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway, the first transnational electrified railway in Africa; Tanzania's Nyerere Bridge, the largest cable-stayed cross-sea bridge in East Africa; and the Nairobi-Mombasa standard gauge railway, which is Kenya's biggest infrastructure project since independence.
In Nigeria, the Chinese-sponsored Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge railway opened in 2016. Chinese companies are also building the Zungeru hydropower station in the country.
"It is against these backgrounds that the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is of utmost concern for Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world," the newspaper said.
Another Nigerian newspaper, Leadership, also said Nigeria has been a huge beneficiary of China's cooperation with African countries.
It noted that China has offered Nigeria loan facilities with low interest rates and long tenors to address the latter's infrastructure deficit. "And the country is doing all these without seeking to interfere in the internal affairs," it stressed.
As the CPC convened its national congress, Nigeria has many reasons to celebrate with China, which "has demonstrated utmost goodwill towards our growth and development," added the newspaper.
"The outcome of the congress will give a fresh boost to Africa-China cooperation and Nigeria-China strategic partnership," it said.
In Cameroon, official newspaper Cameroon Tribune noted that China is now Africa's biggest partner in trade, investment and major infrastructure financing, yet China's relations with Africa will be further strengthened.
"Apart from bilateral deals that have seen China undertake major infrastructure projects in most African nations, the Chinese are also helping to construct industrial parks for massive absorption of the continent's young unemployed," it said.
