Roundup: China-Africa think tank forum highlights need to enhance bilateral ties

The 4th China-Africa Think Tank Forum on Thursday ended its two-day meeting in Pretoria, with convergence of views in many areas on enhancing the Sino-African relations.

"There are various areas which African and Chinese scholars agreed on," said Liu Guijin, dean of China-Africa International Business School, Zhejiang Normal University and special representative of the Chinese government on African Affairs.

He described the discussions as "constructive and robust."

The meeting was organized by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, in collaboration with Zhejiang Normal University, the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) and the Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

It served as a platform for dialogue and exchanges between Chinese and African think-tanks to nurture long term cooperation and encourage academic exchanges among the academia of China and Africa.

"We agreed on many areas. Africa needs to have self confidence, take advantage of the presence of China in Africa, population, natural resources, strong political voice and unity to achieve their dreams and aspirations,"Liu said in his closing speech.

He said the meeting came at an opportune time when South Africa is about to host the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit and when the UN is to review the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.

Liu said experts at the meeting also discussed China-Africa future cooperation on agricultural development, transportation, poverty reduction and health system resturcturing in Africa.

The Director of the Institute for African Studies at the Zhejiiang Normal University Liu Hongwu said the meeting demonstrated some hope for Africa and China with shared opportunities and shared destiny.

He called for collaboration between governments, think tanks and civil societies in a complimentary manner and not trying to replace each other.

More Chinese students will have to be sent to Africa to learn their culture and language to further build relations, said Liu Hongwu.

Sibusiso Vil-Nkomo, board member of the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, said there is a lot Africa has to learn from China.

"Africa has to learn how China achieved such economic growth and continues to sustain that. We have to learn their sympathy and duty consciousness. They are not here to conquer and rule, we have to learn their low profile and harmony,"he told Xinhua.

Lemma Senbert, executive director of African Economic Research Consortium also told Xinhua that there were many areas of agreements, particularly on the need to continue China-Africa economic cooperation.

He also stated that Africa itself should implement its own home grown strategy. Endit