‘Strong Africa’ necessary in China-Africa relations

Africa must use its
relationship with China
to its benefit to grow its
economy and learn from the
Far East powerhouse.
This was the message
at the first annual, ‘China
Meets Africa Forum’ held in
Ghana in August this year.
Organised by the China
Europe International
Business School (CEIBS),
the China Development
Bank and The Beijing Axis,
discussions at the forum
centred on how trade and
investment had contributed
to the development of the
Chinese economy and how
Africa could learn from and
replicate this experience
by forming strategic
and mutually beneficial
partnerships.
Speakers looked, in
particular, at the energy,
mining, infrastructure,
construction, agribusiness,
telecoms and IT sectors.
According to CEIBS,
more than 200 delegates
attended, representing
companies from a number
of countries including the
host country Ghana, China,
Nigeria, Kenya, Ivory Coast,
and South Africa.
In his keynote speech,
John Agyekum Kufuor,
former President of the
Republic of Ghana, called
on Africa to focus on
technological development
to enable the country to
effectively negotiate with
its partners, saying a strong
Africa was necessary in the
China-Africa partnership.
Since the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation
(FOCAC) was held in
2000, economic and trade
cooperation between the two
countries has been further
enhanced and revitalised,
with bilateral trade at $166.3
billion in 2011, 16 times the
level in 2000.