China and Africa should expand practical cooperation

FOCAC is a forum where we see the large initiative from this forum is getting stronger and stronger. A lot of initiatives and a lot of projects that have become an initiative under this particular forum, I think these parties are a beneficiary of that. I mean I have no doubt that this particular meeting is going to be another opportunity to see the commitment of the People’s Republic of China's moment, to help and continue to support the African continent. How do I say that? And I do respect and I'm grateful to the People's Republic of China for all the support. With all these put together, it helps in the modernization of a country I mentioned about political stability, which is something very crucial for a country to evolve and develop.

So all this we have put together and this has helped us to attract investors, a vast area of ocean, 2.3 million square kilometers.

For me, one way to keep on strengthening that friendship. I'm sure that's going to improve on the trade activity in the two countries. Hopefully, we will be able to resolve that issue and we will have direct flight. And once we start to have direct flight, there are so many new avenues and directions that we can explore together and to be able to strengthen that friendship. I have no doubt, given our historical ties that we had. I mean this can only get better.

The trade and economic cooperation is the important cornerstone of Sino-Africa friendship. Africa is China's good friend and reliable trading partner while China is Africa's first largest trading partner, important investment source and principal provider of aid. It is an important foothold for China's foreign policies to consolidate and develop the friendly and pragmatic cooperation with African countries so that we will give priority to it in our development of foreign economic exchanges.

To put it in a nutshell, it is a new start for Sino-Africa trade and economic cooperation of mutual benefit and win-win outcome. For another leap and bound in the pragmatic cooperation in trade and economy with Africa,China launched a series of new measures. I hope to extend the Chinese government's sincere wishes on the development of Sino-Africa relations and new measures to African countries and people, understand the real demands of our friends, discuss how to deepen bilateral pragmatic cooperation under the new situation and further promote the sound and steady development of Sino-Africa trade and economic relations by this visit.

To open up new prospects for a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership, China and Africa should expand practical cooperation. We should expand areas and explore new ways of cooperation. We should do more to conduct cooperation in agriculture,manufacturing, infrastructure and other priority development areas in Africa. We should work harder to carry out advanced cooperation in investment, finance, services and technology transfer and improve trade mix and upgrade trade. And we should redouble efforts to help African countries enhance capacity for self development. Our goal is for China-Africa cooperation to benefit more of our peoples.

Author：Mahen Kumar Seeruttun