Africa upbeat over ties with China
The increased ties between China and Africa will prompt other nations to pay closer attention to the continent and build a new kind of economic relationship with it.
According to Eric Chinje, director of the AfDB's internal and external communications, Chinese and African leaders are approaching a new framework of Sino-African ties, which is different from Africa's relations with other big powers in the past.
"Under the framework, agreed at November's African summit in Beijing, the two sides will attempt to address the economic needs of each other," Chinje said.
It is clear to Africans that China needs natural resources, which Africa has in abundance, to sustain its booming economy.
Throughout Africa's history, other nations got what they needed from the continent but made no real efforts in sharing wealth with it.
"The way China approaches its relations with Africa will fundamentally change the way the rest of the world is responding (to Africa)," he told China Daily, adding that the continent is already being paid greater attention by the world as a result of its proximity to China.
In Chinje's view, "Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to eight African countries in February demonstrated a strong commitment, and not only on a political level."
One of the concrete outcomes of the relationship is that with China's help, a number of African countries have been able to cut down the cost of building roads, translating into better infrastructure for the continent.
"This year's annual meetings of our board of governors are expected to further build this mutually beneficial relationship," Chinje said.
The meetings with the central theme of "Africa and Asia -Partners in Development" are an important gathering of the bank's board of governors, who are represented by finance ministers or central bank governors of its 77 member countries.
Chinje said he hopes the bank would be a critical player in promoting Sino-African economic and trade relations.
(China Daily 05/17/2007 page27)
