China will continue to help Africa with no political strings attached: Chinese FM

(ECNS) - China is committed to advancing solidarity and cooperation with Africa under the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith and pursuing the greater good and shared interests, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference on Monday, in response to the question brought forward by China News Service.

It is reported that Keith Rockwell, a former chief spokesman at the World Trade Organization, said recently that under the Belt and Road Initiative, China had funded mega infrastructure projects in Africa and that China’s relations with Africa were broad and deep and likely to remain strong for many years.

“China stands together with the African people and pursues common development with African countries on the basis of mutual respect,” Wang pointed out.

He added that since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was launched a decade ago, African countries have actively supported and participated in high-quality cooperation under the framework.

“With steady progress in a host of major projects, the BRI has given a strong boost to the economic and social development in African countries,” he said.

He gave several examples of China-funded mega infrastructure projects in Africa during the press conference:

The Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, which started operation six years ago, has shipped a total of 10.3 million passengers and 27 million tonnes of cargo, adding 1.5 percentage points to Kenya’s GDP growth, Wang said.

“The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, which started operation five years ago, has greatly facilitated the flow of people and goods among Ethiopia, Djibouti and other regional countries,” he continued.

According to Wang, during the COVID-19 pandemic, these two railways saw their capacity increase and served as the main arteries in the region, which contributed to fighting the pandemic, ensuring people’s wellbeing, and revitalizing the economy. 

“The No.1 National Highway in the Republic of the Congo, which links the country’s only seaport Pointe-Noire with the capital and the hinterland, has been hailed by the Congolese President as a road of dreams and a road to the future,” according to Wang.

He also noted that “China Longyuan Electric Power’s De Aar Wind Power Project in South Africa saves 215,800 tonnes of standard coal units and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 619,900 tonnes per year, and provides electricity to 300,000 local households.”

“The Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Project, the largest infrastructure project in Zambia in nearly 40 years, reduces carbon emissions by 663,500 tonnes per year and generates more than USD 1 million in revenues per day,” he added.

“Nigeria’s Lekki Deep Sea Port has played an important role in enhancing its entrepot trade capacity and promoting connectivity in western Africa,” he said.

The spokesperson highlighted that “the headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first on the continent to be fully equipped with modern office and lab facilities, has become a new landmark of Africa integration.”

Wang concluded that on the basis of respecting the will of the African people and African countries’ needs, China will continue to help Africa with no political strings attached, work for a strong synergy between the BRI and Agenda 2063 of the African Union, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the UN, as well as the development strategies of African countries, support Africa in accelerating integration and connectivity, and bring more benefits to the Chinese and African people.