Your Excellency Amb. Seyoum Mesfin, President of Board of Trustees of the CDRC, Co-host of this Seminar,
Your Excellency Amb. Osama Abdel Khalek, Chairperson of the AU Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC),
Your Excellency Mahlet Hailu, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia,
Your Excellency Amb. Baye Moctar Diop, permanent representative of Senegal to AU, African co-chair of the FOCAC,
Honorable representative of the African Union Commission,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good Afternoon, thank you for participating in today’s seminar on China-Africa cooperation jointly organized by the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the African Union and the Center for Dialogue, Research and Cooperation. The theme of today’s seminar is “Sustaining Traditional Friendship: Achievements and Prospects of China-Africa Cooperation.” First of all, allow me to express our congratulations on the successful holding of the seminar and our sincere appreciation to the CDRC for their thoughtful arrangements. Two days later will be Ethiopian New Year. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy Ethiopian new year!
China-Africa friendship has a long history. As early as the 2nd Century BC, the Chinese Han Dynasty had been indirectly trading with Africa through the Silk road, Emperor Wu was said to had received exotic Ethiopian “buffalos of flower-shaped hoofs”. In the Tang Dynasty, Chinese porcelains became popular in East Africa’s littoral, bearing witness to China-Africa people-to-people friendship. Chinese seafarer Zheng He and his massive fleet made four voyages to East Africa including Somalia and Kenya. But China established no colonies in Africa, and was never involved in slave trade. Rather, Chinese silk, tea and other products were transported to Africa. In modern history, when Africa was almost entirely colonized in the notorious “Scramble for Africa”, China also degraded into a semi-colonized country. Chinese and African peoples are closely linked in this similar history of being the victims of oppression and the common mission of anti-imperialism and decolonization.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Chinese and African leaders ushered in a new era of China-Africa relations. China resolutely supported Africa’s national independence and liberation movements, and provided sincere and selfless aid for Africa’s development and rejuvenation when we were not so wealthy ourselves. Over 60 Chinese engineers and workers died and were buried locally during the construction of the 1,860 km long Tanzania-Zambia Railway line in the 1970s. It has been one of China’s biggest comprehensive foreign aid project ever since. African countries also gave China enormous support and assistance and voted to restore the People’s Republic of China’s lawful seat and all relevant rights at the United Nations. The Chinese people has always been saying that it was African brothers who carried us into the United Nations.
China-Africa relations entered an era of comprehensive development since the beginning of the 21st century. The two sides launched the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and decided to build a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership, reaping significant benefits in various fields. The FOCAC Beijing Summit held last September was a landmark event in that Chinese and African leaders pledged to build an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future, and decided to carry out eight major initiatives, presenting a new blueprint for upgrading China-Africa relations.
China-Africa exchanges and cooperation have enjoyed fast-paced development since the Beijing Summit. Twenty Chinese leaders have visited 29 African countries and the African Union Commission (AUC) by August 2019. Joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are making solid progress, and 44 African countries and the AUC have signed BRI cooperation agreements with China. The implementation of the eight major initiatives has had a good start as the two sides make country-specific implementation plans based on their own strengths and practical needs. Over 880 cooperation projects are set to be implemented in the following three years. The trade volume between China and Africa exceeded $ 200 billion in 2018, making China Africa’s biggest trading partner for the tenth consecutive year.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. China International Development Cooperation Agency recently announced that it would provide emergency humanitarian aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan in the fight against Ebola, and cooperate with the World Health Organization and the AU in the prevention and control of the epidemic. China and the AU have signed an Exchange of Letters of Agreement for the Construction of the Headquarters Building of the Africa CDC and the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement. Evidences abound that China and Africa have always been good friends, good brothers, good partners, and constitute a community of shared future and stand out as pioneers in South-South cooperation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
China-Africa cooperation has been well tested in the changing tides of history and international situation, demonstrating its vitality and attractiveness. The reason underlying such vitality and attractiveness is because China is committed to sincere friendship, equal treatment, openness, inclusiveness and combines justice and benefits while prioritizing justice. China supports African countries to explore development paths befitting their own conditions, does not interfere in Africa’s internal affairs, does not impose our positions, attaches no political conditions to aid and seeks no political interests in financing and investment.
For quite some time, certain external forces have been maliciously slandering China-Africa cooperation and groundlessly accusing China of “neo-colonialism” and “debt trap” which are way off the mark of realities. Fundamentally, such discourse keeps popping up in the media out of a lack of respect for Africa, and ignorance of the Chinese history and China-Africa cooperation.
Facts speak louder than words, justice resides naturally in a man’s heart. Only Chinese and African peoples have the right to judge on China-Africa cooperation, African countries know what they want and need no others to worry on their behalf. Any ill-intentioned attempts to vilify China and undermine China-Africa cooperation are destined to fail. No obstructions will affect our resolve to strengthen China-Africa cooperation, neither will any difficulties stop China and Africa from joining hands in our pursuit of progress.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Over the past 70 years, China has made the extraordinary journey from a country of abject poverty and weakness to the world’s second largest economy and outbound investment country, and the world’s largest nation in terms of manufacturing, the trade of goods, foreign reserves and the tourism market. The Chinese nation, with an entirely new posture in the orient, is more confident and capable than ever before in achieving the goal of the great rejuvenation.
Seventy years of extraordinary endeavor has kept China forging ahead.
Over the past 70 years, we have found a development path befitting our national conditions. There is no universally applicable social system or development path. The best development path is the one adapted to each country’s conditions. We believe socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the only correct path for us. We are committed to this path and have not wavered despite ever-changing international tides. China's development experience offers an alternative scenario for other countries in their pursuit of rapid development while preserving their independence, and it presents Chinese wisdom and Chinese approach to solving problems facing mankind.
Over the past 70 years, we have made great inroads through reform and opening-up. It has not only profoundly transformed China itself, but also opened the door for China to interact with the world. Since the reform and opening up, China’s economy has grown at an average annual rate of 9.5%, creating a miracle of human development. China contributes more than 30% to the world’s economic growth in recent years, making it the most important engine of global growth. More than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of absolute poverty, representing more than 70% of the total global poverty alleviation figures. China also actively takes responsibility in international affairs. It is the second biggest contributor to UN membership and peacekeeping operations, and dispatches the largest number of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of UN security council. It can be said that China's reform and opening up has effectively promoted the overall progress of humanity and safeguarded peace and stability at both regional and global levels. Under new circumstances, China’s door will open wider, and reform will not stop.
Over the past 70 years, we have gradually formed the basic tenets of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. China has always pursued an independent foreign policy of peace, advocated the basic norms of international relations based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and firmly stood with the developing countries and opposed hegemonism and power politics. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping has put forth a series of new ideas, propositions and initiatives in the light of tremendous transformation in the world unseen in the past century. At the historical juncture for national rejuvenation, President Xi proposes to build a community of shared future for mankind, and advocates the joint construction under the BRI to strengthen a global network of partnerships. In the meantime, China will resolutely defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and works to open a new chapter of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.
Over the past 70 years, we are committed to openness and inclusiveness to facilitate the harmonious coexistence of the Chinese civilization and the world at large. Throughout our development and interactions with the outside world, we respect the diversity of civilizations, and attach great importance to the exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations to promote their harmonious coexistence. Civilizations do not lead to conflict on their own account. The lack of tolerance for other civilizations through colored glasses of arrogance and prejudice is the root cause of estrangements, disputes, hatred and instability. Any attempt to use force to eliminate the differences of other civilizations will not succeed, but will bring disaster to the world. Dialogue and exchanges, through which civilizations can complement each other with their different strengths for common development, will serve to bring down the wall of suspicion and estrangements in the interests a more harmonious and colorful world.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The contemporary world is going through tremendous transformation unseen in the past century. China and Africa will continue to embrace the future with joint hands. No matter how the international situation evolves, China will always uphold the ideas of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and the righteous vision of justice and benefits as proposed by President Xi Jinping in our engagement with Africa. We will stand unswervingly with Africa and other developing countries to safeguard the common interests of Africa and other developing countries.
The rise of unilateralism and protectionism is dealing a severe blow to the international system and the process of economic globalization. As the largest developing country and the continent with the largest number of developing countries, China and Africa should stay on the right course of historical progress featuring multilateralism and the free trade system, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the basic norms of international law and international relations centered on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and promote reforms to make the global governance system more just and equitable, so that we can safeguard the fundamental interests of the developing countries.
Despite complicated and profound changes in international situation, China-Africa cooperation for common win is pressing head vigorously. China will persevere in the original aspiration of China-Africa cooperation and work with the African side to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit to build a closer community of shared future. We will strengthen consultations and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and step up efforts to align development strategies so that the practical achievements will benefit more people for a bright future of China-Africa cooperation.