Interview: Africa making gains from China's cooperation : AU official

China's economic cooperation with Africa is behind enormous development programs that are today solving several problems on the continent; a Senior African Union (AU) official has said.

Erastus Mwencha, the Outgoing Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission acknowledged on Friday that Africa has changed greatly since the Asian country embarked on serious cooperation with Africa.

"The Chinese government has supported us in peace and security and supported in the management of Ebola outbreak amongst other projects in the continent," Mwencha told Xinhua at the ongoing 27th AU Summit held in Kigali, capital of Rwanda.

He revealed that in recent past, China has taken a more hands-on approach to the mediation in the Sudan-South Sudan conflict.

Mwencha noted that under the cooperation, plans are underway to establish the first Centre of Disease Control in Africa with support from China besides focusing on industrialization, infrastructure and poverty reduction.

Mwencha said that despite China's decreased imports from Africa last year due to low commodity prices and slowing growth in the country, the cooperation must be strengthened further.

He said that the commitments made at the Forum on China- Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that was held in South Africa in December last year are being pursued.

"Deliberations around industrialization, infrastructure and poverty reduction in the continent has to be given priority as they form part and parcel of the AU 2063 Agenda's vision of transforming the countries' economies as they move from low income to middle level," he said. Endit