China-Africa Co-operation: News and Discussions

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Chinese e-commerce payment platform to make Kenyan market entry
Xinhua | Updated: 2017-07-21 15:00

NAIROBI — Chinese electronic payment platform Alipay plans to enter the Kenyan market as an indigenous company, where it would create a payment platform for companies operating in the East African region's largest economy, the company's founder Jack Ma said on Thursday.

Ma, the founder of the world's largest e-commerce trading platform, Alibaba, is visiting Kenya in a tour arranged by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), to promote global entrepreneurship and to mentor young and upcoming entrepreneurs.

"We would enable you to buy and sell. We want to enable every business to trade globally. Alipay is definitely interested. We would give money to a Kenyan company to start this business, not Alipay. We are here looking for people. We are also talking to payment companies," Ma said during a public lecture at the University of Nairobi.

The lecture, attended by the Kenyan minister of information and Communication Joe Mucheru and UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi, explored e-commerce and entrepreneurship skills.

In his public lecture, the Chinese business magnet and thought-process leader, urged innovators and entrepreneurs to embrace failure and lack of success as a positive business spirit.

"Do not be afraid to fail. Get used to failure," he said, describing the historic entry of his online commerce site Alibaba's foray and the initial failures that it encountered before it grew to a massive $556 billion business empire which currently employs 56,000 people.

Ma said his business has created 33 million jobs in China and is currently capable of undertaking massive logistical operations, delivering 65 million packages all over China.

Talking about the possibility to grow the online business distribution, Ma said he believed 90 percent of businesses around the world were likely to be online.

The Chinese businessman known and respected globally for his innovative business solutions, said he saw a great future in Africa and urged both political and business leaders in the continent to embrace innovation.

Insisting the growth of technology in this era was the third phase of a global business development cycle, Ma said the new phase of technology development, driven by intelligence systems, would require the development of brains and innovations where innovation would replace human beings.

"We will make machines like people. The world faces challenges. Great jobs will disappear. This is the challenge. Change is the best opportunity and people complaining is the best opportunity for people to develop products and solutions to address the complaints using the internet," Ma told the audience.

 

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China supports nascent agro-processing initiatives in northern Ghana
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-23 00:38:50|Editor: An



ACCRA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has handed over a support package for small-scale agro-processing initiatives in northern Ghana.

Through its grants for agricultural development in the West African country, the Chinese government Friday donated 13 sets of corn grinders, two sets of soya bean flour milling machines as well as one set of millet milling machine to the Development Authority in charge of the Northern Savannah zone.

Presenting the items meant to help initiate community-based agro-processing in the northern parts of the country, China's Ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohong, stressed that her country's high achievements in agriculture had been a result of the high premium the Chinese government places on the sector, with advanced technology and effective policies.

She lauded the government of Ghana for launching such initiatives as "One District-One Factory"; "One Village-One Dam"; and "Planting for Food and Jobs", which she said demonstrated the government's great attention to agricultural modernization.

"Over the years, China and Ghana have conducted win-win and fruitful cooperation in agriculture. China provides a good number of training opportunities to Ghana for bringing up the agriculture talents," she noted.

About Chinese achievements in agriculture and food security, the ambassador said, with only about nine percent of the world's land, China produced 25 percent of the world's food to feed 20 percent of the world's population.

She said following the visit by Ghana's Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia to China, more credible Chinese enterprises were willing to come and explore investment opportunities in the West African country.

"A number of Chinese enterprises are also here investing in agriculture, from planting to processing. As an important partner, China will strengthen cooperation with Ghana in agriculture in the future," Sun pledged.

Receiving the donated items, Ghana's Minister for Special Development Initiatives Mavis Hawa Koomson observed that the arrival of the equipment was timely, since they would support the flagship programs of the government.

"The recent visit of Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia to China and the presence of senior leadership of the Chinese government during the inauguration of President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo signals a new era of win-win bilateral relationship between our two counties," the Ghanaian minister said.

 

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China donates 1.8 mln USD to fight cholera, malaria in South Sudan
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-30 18:16:19|Editor: Lu Hui



JUBA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has donated a combined sum of 1.8 million U.S. dollars to South Sudan's ministry of health to fight cholera and malaria in the war-torn East African country.

The Chinese Embassy in South Sudan on Saturday handed over a check of 1 million dollars for cholera response, donated anti-malarial drugs worth 800,000 dollars and also donated one ambulance to the country's biggest referral hospital.

The South Sudanese government also launched a Chinese-aided project worth 33 million dollars for the modernization and expansion of the country's main referral hospital, the Juba Teaching Hospital, and renovation of the China-funded Kiir Mayardit Women's Hospital in the South Sudanese town of Rumbek.

Health Minister Riek Gai Kok said the donation is a generous addition to the 600 bicycles and communication gadgets provided by the Chinese government to support health in the grassroot level.

"We thank you for the kind donation that will help us a lot in strengthening our capacity to respond to diseases," said Kok.

Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan He Xiangdong said Beijing is committed to helping Juba improve its public health sector by providing capacity building and financial contributions.

"This is a gift from the Chinese people to our brothers and sisters in South Sudan because we are trying to help them improve the public health sector," the Chinese envoy said.

Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, China has contributed diplomatic and material support to South Sudan.

Early this year, China and South Sudan agreed to boost cooperation in the health sector by enhancing knowledge sharing, capacity building, and hospital to hospital collaborations.

Beijing has been sending 15 medical specialists annually to various hospitals across South Sudan to provide free medical services.

"We are very proud of having this partnership with China and we urge the two governments to deepen this relationship for the generations to come because health is the pillar for development," said South Sudan's Finance Minister Stephen Dhuie Dau.

 

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Feature: China initiates satellite TV project in rural Africa
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-11 11:25:52|Editor: Yamei



by Olatunji Saliu, Zhang Baoping

A woman walks past the poster of StarTimes in Hulumi community in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, on Aug. 10, 2017. StarTimes, a Chinese firm which offers direct-to-home pay TV services, introduced its digital TV service to the locality as part of its pilot project to provide satellite TV in five Nigerian villages. The project is a fruit of one of the resolutions of the 2015 summit of Forum On China-Africa Cooperation, in Johannesburg, South Africa, in which the Chinese government pledged to provide satellite TV in 10,000 African villages. (Xinhua/Zhang Baoping)

ABUJA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Hulumi, an undeveloped rustic community in the Nigerian capital of Abuja with limited infrastructure, came alive on Thursday.

Its people, mostly of Gbagyi descent, with a few residents from other tribes, turned out en masse in jubilation to welcome their Chinese guests and their local partners who had come to launch a digital satellite TV in their locality to broadcast traditional music, dance and colorful display of their culture.

StarTimes, a Chinese firm which offers direct-to-home pay TV services, introduced its digital TV service to the locality as part of its pilot project to provide satellite TV in five Nigerian villages.

The project is a fruit of one of the resolutions of the 2015 summit of Forum On China-Africa Cooperation, in Johannesburg, South Africa, in which the Chinese government pledged to provide satellite TV in 10,000 African villages.

And so, locals in Hulumi thronged out in ecstasy when the innovative pilot project kicked off in their community with Chinese and Nigerian officials in attendance.

Dimas Hakimi, top chief of Hulumi district, told Xinhua that the Chinese satellite TV had brought everlasting joy to the people.

For decades, the residents had only been familiar with analog TV, thereby lacking the opportunity to watch some of the exciting satellite TV channels enjoyed by people in other towns and cities in the country.

As a pioneer digital terrestrial TV provider in Nigeria, StarTimes has been able to disseminate digital terrestrial television in at least 80 cities across the West African country in seven years.

With its simple-to-install decoders coupled with its low tariffs, StarTimes, in partnership with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), has brought digital TV within the reach of many Nigerians since 2010.

The satellite TV provides the opportunity for locals to watch digital TV programs of both local and international contents.

StarTimes offers some of its channels in three main Nigerian languages -- Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo, as well as a Chinese Kungfu channel and Nollywood (Nigerian entertainment) channels, among others.

In Hulumi, the Chinese firm presented the community with sets of direct-to-home decoders for 20 households each, together with free installation of two sets of digital TV projector with solar panels as well as voluntary renovation works at the local primary school and donations of educational and recreational materials to the pupils.

Every evening, locals who had no television or lacked electricity supply gathered at the village square to watch their favorite channels on a large projection screen provided by StarTimes.

Hakimi, who welcomed Xinhua to his home while watching the satellite TV together with his family, said he enjoyed watching, mostly, news channels. However, his wife and two sons' favorite channels were those with entertainment contents.

"StarTimes has been greatly accepted here. We have never had this kind of experience. Most families in Hulumi are now enjoying a digital life, and this is marvelous in our eyes," the village chief told Xinhua.

"This satellite TV will be of great benefit to us. We have strong signals all around the local community," he added.

According to official data, Hulumi and the six other surrounding villages have the population of 6,000 people.

Speaking at the well-attended ceremony to launch the satellite TV project on Thursday, Guo Weimin, deputy director of the State Council Information Office of China, said the goal of the Chinese government is to fulfill the pledge of providing digital TV service that has already been enjoyed by people in urban areas to more villages in rural areas in Africa.

Guo said China will continue to enhance its support for Nigeria and other African countries.

According to Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, director general of the NTA and chairman of StarTimes/NTA TV Enterprise, the Chinese firm has revolutionized the pay TV industry in Nigeria.

He said Nigerians, even those in rural areas, no longer need to spend a huge amount of money to enjoy good TV programs.

Noting that StarTimes has done so much to help with the digitization process of the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, he told the cheerful audience that StarTimes had brought an array of rich contents in educative, informative and entertainment channels and urged the locals to enjoy the service.

A thousand Nigerian villages are to benefit from this continental project.

 

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China donates 1,500 tonnes of rice to South Sudan
Source: Xinhua | 2017-08-11 19:45:15 | Editor: huaxia

Officials from the Chinese embassy in South Sudan and South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission show samples of China-donated rice on Aug 10 2017. (Xinhua/ Gale Julius)

by Julius Gale

JUBA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Thursday handed over 1,500 tonnes of rice as emergency food aid to hunger-stricken South Sudan.

In April, Beijing pledged to provide 8,800 tonnes of rice to the war-torn East African nation to help fight the severe food shortage.

Li Xiangfeng, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in South Sudan said the first batch of 60 containers of rice has already been handed to South Sudan's Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) and more are expected to arrive in the coming months.

The envoy said China attaches great importance to the bilateral friendship and cooperation between Beijing and Juba.

"As a true friend and sincere partner of South Sudan, China will continuously provide strong support to South Sudan in the process of peaceful reconstruction," Li said.

Paul Dhel Gum, deputy chairperson of the RRC appreciated the Chinese government for standing with South Sudanese, adding that the donation would be used to address food shortage in the most vulnerable areas affected by conflict and severe food insecurity.

"We will continue to cooperate with the people of China because of their continued commitment to help the people of South Sudan, and we are grateful for the donation," said Gum.

South Sudan has been embroiled in more than three years of conflict that has have taken a devastating toll on the people.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016.

The UN estimates that 1.5 million people have been displaced into neighbouring countries and another 7.5 million people across the country are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.

 

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China-Africa Development Fund services benefit a million Africans
By Kimeng Hilton Ndukong (People's Daily Online) 13:13, August 23, 2017

CAD Fund is most interested in financing large-scale joint projects by African and Chinese entrepreneurs. Photo: Kimeng Hilton

The China-Africa Development Fund, CAD Fund, whose role is to finance major Chinese investments in Africa, has so far positively impacted the lives of a million people on the continent since its inauguration in 2007. The institution, which is China’s first and largest equity investment fund with focus on Africa, has in 10 years sponsored 90 projects worth 20 billion US dollars in 36 African nations.

20 billion US Dollars invested in Africa

The disclosure was made in the Chinese capital, Beijing on August 22 during a visit to CAD Fund’s headquarters by 27 African journalists. According to Wang Yong, CAD Fund’s vice president, China’s direct investments in Africa totaled 20 billion US dollars in the past 10 years. Some 2 billion US dollars was generated in local exports, 1 billion US dollars collected as tax revenue, while a million Africans benefitted from the 90 projects.

Wang Yong said his institution was most interested in supporting joint large-scale projects by African and Chinese entrepreneurs. He noted that projects have even been sponsored in African countries that do not have diplomatic relations with China. The CAD Fund vice president said the objective was to boost capacity for self-development in project host countries.

According to CAD Fund vice president Wang Yong (right), projects financed by his institution in Africa generated 1 billion US dollars in taxes in the past 10 years. Photo: Kimeng Hilton

Financing interests

With a capital of 10 billion US dollars, CAD Fund, which is under the China Development Bank, focuses on four main areas – agriculture and livelihoods, energy and minerals, building industrial capacity, and infrastructure development. It has also played a major role in setting up Chinese-driven industrial parks in Africa.

CAD Fund projects are guided by the principle of development finance and are also based on requests by African countries. It offers both financing and consulting services to Chinese companies investing in Africa. “CAD Fund is always more than willing to provide support for projects from governments, institutions and companies in Africa to realize our win-win goals,” Wang Yong stated.

Why Africa?

Jiang Lin, CAD Fund deputy director general in charge of operations management, said the institution was created in June 2007 because of China’s confidence in Africa, the continent’s great potentials, large youth population, consuming middle class numbering 370 million, and annual economic growth of 2 per cent. As Africa’s largest trade partner, Chinese investments on the continent are expected to hit 100 billion US dollars by 2020, Jiang Lin predicted.

In order to ease operations on the field, CAD Fund maintains five regional offices in Africa – Ethiopia, Ghana, Zambia, Kenya and South Africa. Unlike commercial banks that only fund projects, CAD Fund also participates in the management of the projects it finances. Jiang Lin said CAD Fund does not only bring capital, but also foreign enterprises and technology to make projects more sustainable.

CAD Fund has also financed industrial parks in Africa like the Huajian shoe factory in Ethiopia . Photo by Huajian

Comprehensive strategic partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 chose Africa for his first foreign trip since coming to power. He used the occasion to present sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith as guidelines for China’s African policy. Premier Li Keqiang in 2014 visited Africa and drew the blueprint for China-Africa cooperation.

At the 2015 FOCAC summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, President Xi proposed that the China-Africa strategic partnership be upgraded to a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership. He then put forward China’s cooperation plans, thus marking the beginning of a new phase in China-Africa relations, Wang Yong said.

The CAD Fund briefing was attended by 27 African journalists. Photo: Kimeng Hilton

*Kimeng Hilton Ndukong, a contributor to People’s Daily Online, is Sub-Editor for World News with Cameroon Tribune bilingual daily newspaper in Cameroon. He is currently a 2017 China-Africa Press Centre, CAPC fellow.

 

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Zambia launches construction of China-funded mega-road project
Source: Xinhua | 2017-09-09 18:08:40 | Editor: huaxia

Zambian President Edgar Lungu (middle) cuts the ribbon during the launch of China-funded mega-road project in Chisamba Zambia, Sept. 8, 2017. (Xinhua /Noel Wasamunu)

CHISAMBA, Zambia, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Friday launched construction of a China-funded mega-road project that connects the southern and central parts of the country to the mining towns in the Copperbelt province.

The construction of the 321-kilometer Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway, including the bypass roads in Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi, and 45 kilometers of the Luanshya-Fisenge-Masangano Road will be done by China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation (CJIC) at a cost of 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, a loan from China's Exim Bank.

The road, to be constructed in four years, will create over 3,000 jobs for local people.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu, in remarks delivered during the launch of commissioning works in central Zambia's Chisamba district, said the project will present one of the modern symbols of the friendship between Zambia and China after the Tanzania-Zambia Railway line constructed in the 1970s.

The Zambian leader said the construction of the road will improve the flow of traffic and drastically reduce road traffic accidents that are common on the current narrow road.

He also highlighted the economic benefits of the dual carriageway, saying it was cardinal to transiting vehicles to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other countries in the southern African region.

"Increased traffic on our roads due to the booming economic activities in various sectors, especially in the mining sector, requires an appropriate response such as this one," he said.

Yang Youming, the Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, said the construction of the dual carriageway will make the country a hub of transportation in the region.

The two countries, he said, have cooperated greatly in infrastructure development over the years, adding that China will continue supporting Zambia's infrastructure improvement.

"Locating in the center of southern Africa, Zambia is poised to become a transportation hub for the region. And China is experienced in infrastructure development, leading in the world with work efficiency and project quality. I therefore see great prospect for China-Zambia cooperation in transportation infrastructure development," he said.

Xu Guojian, the president of CJIC, said that his company had attached great importance to the project and that rounds of studies have been conducted to ensure that it was perfectly done.

According to him, the company has undertaken more than 200 projects in Zambia since 1987 when it entered the market.

 

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StarTimes to roll out free digital TV project to rural parts of Africa
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-12 02:15:15|Editor: yan



by Ronald Njoroge

NAIROBI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese pay television company StarTimes plans to roll out a free digital TV project to rural parts of Africa as part of its corporate social responsibility drive.

StarTimes Media Kenya Director of Brand Marketing and Public Relations Japheth Akhulia told Xinhua in Nairobi that the project will connect about 10,000 African villages with free digital television service.

"The aim is to bridge the current digital divide that has seen many African villages unable to access television services," Akhulia said.

The rollout follows a successful pilot project where the Chinese media firm connected over 100 households in Kenya's southwestern Kajiado county.

Akhulia said that many African countries have undertaken the digital migration that switched off analog broadcasting.

"Unfortunately, many households in the rural villages have not been able to afford the expensive equipment to watch digital terrestrial television," he added.

"We have therefore decided to assist African villages to benefit from the digital television which offers consumers a wide range of choices," Akhulia said.

He said StarTimes is now an integral part of the African community. "We therefore need to develop the community by improving their standard of living."

The company is now talking to government officials across the continent to work out modalities to ensure the success of the project, Akhulia said.

"We will roll out the digital project in the areas we have received government approval," he said.

StarTimes has gained significant market share in the competitive pay television landscape by offering quality content at affordable rates.

 

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XIEG Joins Hands with PAGGW on Combatting Desertification in Africa
Sep 20, 2017

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Panafrican Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Sep. 15, opening a new chapter for the battle on African’s desertification.

The Memorandum came out at The 13th Session of the Conference of The Parties to The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification held in Erdos, Inner Mongolia.

With its half-century successful experience in desertification control, XIEG will provide technical support for the implementation of the African Great Green Wall (GGW).

The Great Green Wall is an African initiative led by the African Union to combat climate change and desertification. The project aims to improve the lives of millions of people by creating a great green productive landscape across the Sahel in North Africa.

In recent years, northern Africa has been suffering from arable land quality decline due to climate change and poor land management. This eventually led to the adoption of the GGW in 2005, making joint efforts on afforestation, ecological adaptation, poverty reduction and regional economic development in the involving countries.

XIEG will provide PAGGW with necessary support on staff training and research of agro-sylvo-pastoral ecosystem monitoring and evaluation, as well as the development of a monitoring and evaluation system through the Geographic Information System and the Early Warning System, according to LEI Jiaqiang, director of the XIEG.

"XIEG has gained rich experience in land upgrading, desertification control and ecological restoration during its half-century research. This will be a significant technical support for the implementation of the GGW," said Abdoulaye DIA, Executive Secretary of PAGGW.

A workshop designed for training staff from nine GGW countries was held this July in Xinjiang. This is a fortnight training course, hoping to help promote the ability of desertification control staff involving the Great Green Wall in Africa.

"We are glad to see our experience gained in desertification control taking roots in Africa and bearing fruit," said LEI.


XIEG Joins Hands with PAGGW on Combatting Desertification in Africa---Chinese Academy of Sciences