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S. Africa on same page in relations with China

South Africa and China share a sound political relationship that can be used as a basis for achieving economic objectives, a South African Cabinet minister said on Dec 9.

China has agreed to South Africa's request to assist black industrialists who will participate in the mainstream economy, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said at a news briefing in Pretoria regarding President Jacob Zuma's visit to China. Zuma paid a state visit to China on Dec 4-5.

During the visit, the two governments adopted the China-South Africa Five-to-Ten-Year Framework on Cooperation with the objective of furthering the implementation of agreements since the conclusion of the Beijing Declaration in 2010, the minister said.

During the visit, China agreed to expedite market access negotiations for the export of South African produce to China such as maize and apples, Nkoana-Mashabane said.

Beijing supports African rapid response forces

China supports African countries in development of rapid crisis response forces, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Dec 9.

China is always a constructive participant in Africa's peace and security issues, spokesman Hong Lei said, adding that in recent years, China had provided support and assistance to the African Union for peacekeeping operations in Mali, Somalia and other African countries.

Rapid response forces and regular armies will help Africans solve their own problems, Hong said.

China and the AU discussed peace and security cooperation during the China-AU strategic dialogue in October, Hong said.

China is willing to continue to support the efforts of the AU, African sub-regional organizations and countries to safeguard their own peace and security, Hong said.

Official says ties with Africa are improving

China-Africa relations and cooperation have witnessed vigorous development since 2012, when the two sides jointly mapped out a three-year blueprint for collaboration, a Chinese official said on Dec 8.

Lin Songtian, secretary-general of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, made the remarks on the eve of the 10th Senior Officials Meeting of the Forum.

Fruitful results have been achieved in the implementation of the 2013-2015 plan made at the Fifth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC two years ago, Lin said.

Under the guidance of the group, China and Africa have explored a unique path of cooperation, said Lin, who is also director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's African Affairs Department.

First, both sides have maintained closer political contacts, cooperated in international affairs and deepened political trust, he said.

Secondly, the implementation of the new measures announced in 2012 in five areas, including investment and financing, assistance, African integration, civil exchanges, and peace and security, has achieved substantial advancement, said Lin.

Thirdly, the group's mechanisms have witnessed continuous improvement. New platforms such as the ministerial seminar on health issues and the dialogue mechanism between environment ministers, have promoted relations, he said.

Airport construction going global

A new airport in Lome, capital of Togo, will be completed on Dec 25, the latest global achievement of China's aviation industry.

The project includes a terminal with three boarding bridges, a viaduct to the terminal and expansion of the parking lot, said Hong Shangyuan, general manager of China Airport Construction Group Corp.

In the past six decades, CACGC has built 200 airports, mainly in China, but since 2000, they have built airports in the Comoros, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Laos, Angola and Tanzania.

Hong estimates that China's aviation industry will see 1.3 billion trips per year and the number of airports will reach 400 by 2030.

Li Jiaxiang, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said that investment in the aviation industry generates more results in a shorter time and provides more stimulation to related industries, compared with other transport sectors.

Wu Haoning, director of the CACGC's design institute, reckons China will have 100 new airports and expand another 120, with a total investment of 360 billion yuan ($60 billion) by the end of next year, according to the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).

The CACGC has been responsible for over 90 percent of airport construction in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Chinese in Botswana donate to children

The Chinese community in Botswana on Dec 6 held a charity party with local children in SOS Children's Village in Tlokweng, a village adjacent to the capital city of Gaborone.

The half-day party was organized by Charity Association of Chinese in Botswana. According to the chairman of the association, Miles Nan, the party is aimed at improving exchanges between children of the two countries, helping them to know and to understand each other's culture, as well as cultivating their spirit of helping others.

At the party, parents from the Chinese community together with their children donated clothes, schoolbags, stationery and food to children from the local community. Charity Association of Chinese in Botswana donated 60,000 pula ($6,700) to the SOS village.

Botswana children played a traditional instrument while Chinese children played the hulusi, or cucurbit flute, a Chinese traditional instrument.

Teachers from the Confucius Institute at the University of Botswana held a Mandarin open class, a martial arts lecture and a chopsticks competition for the local children.

According to the national director of SOS Children's Village Association in Botswana, Motshwari Kitso, Chinese are the biggest supporters of the association in Botswana.

The event is proof that the Chinese community in Botswana has a great sense of social responsibility and is strongly committed to supporting and making contributions to local communities, noted Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese embassy in Botswana Li Nan at the party. He further called on the guests to give children love and help.

Al-Sisi's trip to China to enhance partnership

The main purpose of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's expected visit to Beijing is to create a strategic partnership with China, Egypt's International Cooperation Minister Naglaa al-Ahwani told Xinhua News Agency on Dec 6.

China is now attractive to the world, al-Ahwani said during an interview, adding that there is a mutual strong desire for further cooperation between the two nations.

"China is one of the most important states with a very huge potential for development," she said.

Egypt has recently established a cabinet unit specified for China led by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, and including a number of key ministers as members to study fields of cooperation with China.

Egypt seeks to attract more Chinese investments, al-Ahwani said. "The concerned ministers provided a number of project proposals to be tackled with the Chinese side before, during and after Sisi's visit to Beijing."

"A delegation including the ministers of transport, electricity, investment and myself, will go to China in an attempt to study these projects with the Chinese side."

The minister believes that Chinese companies can efficiently contribute to the development of the Suez Canal region.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 12/12/2014 page2)