China and Africa jointly address structural transformation
china.org.cn / chinagate.cn by Tao Duanfang, May 13, 2014 Adjust font size:
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) and his wife Cheng Hong arrive in Luanda, Angola, May 8, 2014. [Xinhua photo] |
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang embarked on his visit to four African nations, namely, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Angola, and Kenya, on May 4. He also visited the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa and attended the 2014 World Economic Forum on Africa. This is another visit made by a top Chinese leader after President Xi Jinping's visit last year and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's tour early this year. It demonstrates the closeness of China-African relations and the importance Africa enjoys in China's diplomatic and economic landscape.
China and Africa have helped each other in their diplomatic ties for the past half a century. The two sides supported each other in campaigns against colonialism and hegemony, as well as in maintaining world peace and development. It was thanks to Africa's help that China was re-admitted to the United Nations, and China is the only developing country in the UN Security Council that makes clear statements that represent the interests of developing countries including those on the African continent. The two sides will continue to help each other in the international arena.
China and Africa are complementary in terms of economic development. With the largest manufacturing capacity in the world, China needs Africa's resources and market, while Africa needs to exchange its resources for the money required in survival and development, as well as a complete range of cost-effective finished goods. Because of this complementary relationship, China overcame a flurry of difficulties including the financial crisis, and Africa managed to get over being a "failed continent" and become the most rapidly developing economy in the past ten years.
China and Africa have enjoyed a win-win economic and trade relationship since China's reform and opening-up more than three decades ago. The trade volume between China and Africa has increased 30 percent every year from 2000 to 2009; it reached US$210.3 billion in 2013, nearly 2000 times that of 1965 and more than 21 times that of 2000. China has become Africa's largest trade partner since 2009, and China-African cooperation contributed as much as 20 percent to Africa's development according to the International Monetary Fund.
But there is one thing that should be noted; both China and Africa now find themselves at the crossroads of structural transformation.
