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Chinese FM emphasizes working with Africa on security

Africa remains an important pillar of China's diplomatic strategy, and China should continue to play a more active role in security cooperation with the continent, observers say.

They made the comments as Foreign Minister Wang Yi neared the end of a new year's trip that took him to Ethiopia, Djibouti, Ghana and Senegal.

For the past 23 years Chinese foreign ministers have chosen African countries as their first travel destinations at the start of the year.

Wang emphasized during his trip that China will strengthen its security ties with the African Union and other African countries by further implementing the Initiative on China-Africa Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Security.

The project, launched by China in 2012 at the fifth ministerial conference of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, is aimed at promoting a new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa.

Strengthening security ties was high on Wang's agenda given China's growing interests in Africa and the continent's urgent demand for development, observers say.

They also say the traditional annual visit by Chinese foreign ministers to Africa sends a signal that the continent is still of great importance to China.

Wang met delegations of South Sudan's government and rebels on the first day of his visit, and called for an immediate cease-fire in the world's newest state.

The conflict has left thousands dead and displaced nearly 200,000.

Xu Weizhong, an expert on African studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said China is paying more attention to peace and security in Africa, which has had an influx of Chinese personnel, investment and business activity in recent years.

Bilateral trade between China and Africa reached $172.83 billion between January and October last year, up 5.5 percent from the previous year. China's investment in Africa in the same period was $2.54 billion, up 71.6 percent, the Ministry of Commerce says.

Zhang Hongming, a researcher of West Asian and African studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says turbulence in parts of the continent has put Chinese investment there at risk, and cooperation in military and defense fields should be in line with fast-growing economic ties.

Security has been regarded as a weak link in China-Africa ties, and the ministerial conference of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation in 2012 underscored "peace and security" as a new field where the two could work together.

"The crisis in South Sudan has once again dealt a severe blow to businesses there, two years after South Sudan's secession from Sudan," Zhang says.

The war between Sudan and the newly independent South Sudan in 2012 caused great economic damage to Chinese companies as many were operating in and around the region.

"Their operations had just got back on the right track after the tensions eased between South Sudan and Sudan," Zhang says.

Experts said better bilateral security cooperation also serves the interests of Africa, which has developed rapidly in recent years.

"An important reason for the region's achievements is its overall stable situation," Xu says. "However, in the past year problems such as terrorism and organized crime have begun to appear."

Among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, China has sent the most peacekeeping troops to Africa. Last month it sent another 135-member peacekeeping force to Mali to join the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the country for eight months.

"China has taken part in 15 UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, and there are now still more than 1,800 peacekeeping officers performing tasks there," Wang Yi told local journalists in Djibouti.

Beijing's efforts have contributed to promoting regional security, but there is still a lot more scope for cooperation in security matters, experts said.

He Wenping, an expert on African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says China and African countries should improve their cooperation in sharing anti-terrorism information.

"The two sides have taken a major step forward, and China has started training peacekeeping staff for Africa and provided facilities and funding," He says.

"Besides bilateral cooperation based on multilateral platforms, China can also help improve the continent's ability to maintain peace and security through regional cooperation organizations, such as the African Union," Xu says.

"But how exactly that cooperation works in practice is an open question."

Zhang says Africa, a major source of China's crude oil, rare metals and wood, has seen its status rise in China's development strategy in recent years.

"China is playing a constructive role in Africa's development, and the continent needs more investment and funding."

Every year China provides training for 300 management personnel and technicians from Africa. China plans to provide $20 billion in loans to be used first and foremost for infrastructure construction.

President Xi Jinping visited three African countries during his first trip abroad after assuming office last March.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 01/10/2014 page2)