News digest

Silk Road holds sway in Tanzanian display

China plans to strengthen its relationships with more land and maritime Silk Road countries, and a cultural relics exhibition that organizers hope will draw attention to those plans was unveiled in Dar es Salaam on Dec 15.

The exhibition was organized by the Chinese State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania. It is believed to be the first of its kind in Africa and marks the 50th anniversary of China-Tanzanian diplomatic ties.

Forty-one exhibits from Quanzhou Overseas Transport History Museum in Fujian province are on display, including cowries, porcelains, stone sculptures and models of ancient ships. Paintings by modern Chinese artists are also on display.

Twenty-three items relating to China that were excavated in East Africa, reflecting the historical relationship between the two sides, are also on display.

Audax Mabulla, director general of Tanzania National Museum, says this is a good opportunity for Tanzanians to learn about China's historical and cultural development, and he says he hopes the exhibition will help promote the maritime Silk Road.

The exhibition lasts until Jan 15.

Chinese firm assists in building collapse rescue

The local Chinese community leapt into action after a five-story residential building collapsed in downtown Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, early on the morning of Dec 17. The collapse resulted in one death and 10 injured.

Nairobi Deputy Police Chief Moses Ombati said the victim died on his way to hospital after being rescued from the debris, the Associated Press reported. The building collapsed in the wee hours of the day.

Chinese residents quickly spread the news via social media while asking for immediate help to rescue the trapped.

China's Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group immediately organized an eight-person group to work with on-site rescuers, and they also made a heavy crane excavator available.

"We see Kenyans as our brothers so it's our responsibility and obligation to offer help when any difficulty happens to them," said Zhang Yuanxiang, company director.

Member companies and staff of the Kenya-China Economic and Trade Association, an NGO, also assisted.

Kenyan county woos Chinese investors

A Kenyan county called on Chinese investors on Dec 15 to explore the county's infrastructure, agro-processing and tourism opportunities.

Lantano Nabaala, who is in charge of intergovernmental coordination at Laikipia County, told a team of Chinese journalists that investors should look into the county's natural resources.

"Laikipia is one of the best places to visit in the world with an oasis of opportunities in various areas," Nabaala said.

He said the county, located on the slopes of Mount Kenya, has viable investment opportunities and incentives for joint ventures and sole entrepreneurship.

The delegation of 15 journalists from Xinhua News Agency, China Central Television, China Daily and China Radio International, went on a four-day visit to the region to explore investment opportunities in the county and experience its tourist attractions.

The group visited Equinox Roses, one of the largest producers of cut flowers in the country. Managing Director Tom Lawrence said direct flights between Nairobi and Shanghai would expand his flower business.

"I haven't given China a thought as a market for my products, although I think I should give it a try because of the relatively easy connectivity between the two regions," Lawrence said.

Countries urged to cut trade barriers

China proposed to help Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries upgrade their resource-based economies with advanced industrial equipment and financial support to hedge against the impact of plunging oil prices and geopolitical uncertainties.

The organization's six members, China, Russia and four Central Asian countries, signed deals to strengthen cooperation in customs, law enforcement and a multilateral economic and trade outline on Dec 15, following the 13th prime ministers' meeting of the bloc in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Premier Li Keqiang called the organization to reduce trade barriers, improve the efficiency of customs and open market access among the organization's members. He also announced the start of the selection of projects for the $5 billion (4 billion euros) China-Eurasia cooperation fund.

Economic growth in Central Asia will continue to slow next year, hit by deepening geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the International Monetary Fund said last month.

"China is willing to cooperate with all the members in the organization in the same way as we are working with Kazakhstan," Li told government heads at the meeting on Dec 15.

New grand canal sends water to arid north

More than 1,400 kilometers of canal and pipeline began transferring water on Dec 12 from China's longest river, the Yangtze, to the country's arid northern regions, including the nation's capital, Beijing.

Completion of this section marks major progress in the enormous South-to-North Water Diversion Project, costing an estimated 500 billion yuan ($80 billion; 65 billion euros) and the largest of its kind in the world.

President Xi Jinping sent his congratulations to workers and people "who have made contributions" to the middle route project, calling the achievement a "major event" in the nation's modernization drive.

He said the success has come through ceaseless effort by hundreds of thousands of people since construction started on Dec 30, 2003. More than 200,000 workers participated in the construction.

Xi described the project as important strategic infrastructure that would optimize water resources, boost sustainable economic and social development, and improve people's lives.

Diversion to ease stress on water table

Water transferred by the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is expected to ease the need to pump underground water, which has gone deeper due to overexploitation in recent years.

Beijing is also capping 4,216 dry wells to prevent pollution, the municipal water authority said. These wells can no longer provide water due to the fall in the level of the water table.

More than 3,000 of them have been filled with concrete or covered with iron plates and all of the work will be finished next year, said Wang Wei, deputy director of the water resources bureau of the Beijing Water Authority.

"The capping of wells will cut the channels of sewage and waste polluting underground water, reduce the pollution risk to major water sources and protect the drinking water supply," he said.

Canada prepares to return illegal assets

Canada and China are ready to sign an agreement to return illegal assets seized from fugitives of economic crime, including corrupt officials, according to a senior Canadian diplomat.

Canada's ambassador to China, Guy Saint-Jacques, said that the countries have made "good progress this year" in the fight against corruption.

The agreement "is ready to be signed on the return of property related to people who would have fled to Canada and would have been involved in corrupt activities", he said. Once the agreement is signed, "it will serve as a model for other countries.

China Daily, Agencies

(China Daily Africa Weekly 12/19/2014 page3)