African nations want to learn from China's experiences

Senior officials from African countries are ready to learn from China's path of development and strengthen cooperation with China for better economic development.

More than 80 African ministerial-level officials from 53 countries are in Beijing attending the Coordinators' Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation from June 24 to 25.

Ahmed Isse Awad, minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of Somalia, said Somalia wants to strengthen cooperation with China in every sector, and take advantage of the ties to boost its economic development.

He said Somalia wants to learn from China's path of development, especially how China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in the past few decades. Infrastructure construction, which Somalia is in great need, is also a sector in which he would like to seek greater cooperation with China.

"We have rich fishery resources in Somalia, we have arable land suitable for agriculture, so we also want to develop fishery and agriculture," he said, adding that he also hope that the country's fishery and agricultural products could reach the large Chinese market soon.

Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia, said that Liberia tends to look at China's experiences in bringing its people out of poverty and making great economic achievements.

"We are not going to take everything, because everything may not fit, but we try to look for some good examples and try to take these examples to our society and our country," he said.

He said that Liberia is interested in developing infrastructure, agriculture and education, and FOCAC follow-up is essential in boosting cooperation's with China is these sectors.

He said Chinese investment in Liberia is going very well. Chinese companies are there providing good services in building infrastructure, and will continue to go into areas that are important for local society, making Liberia a better place.

Findley added that it will be more difficult for any country to act own or to protect itself alone in today's world, and it is sure that more and more countries will cooperate and collaborate in the future.