Dear Mr. Desire Assogbavi, Resident representative and Head of Oxfam International Liaison Office to the African Union,
Your Excellency Ms. Susan Sikaneta, Zambian Ambassador to the African Union,
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning!
It is a great pleasure for me to attend this Multi-stakeholder Dialogue Forum. First of all, on behalf of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my warm congratulations to the opening of this Forum and wish it a complete success. My thanks also go to Oxfam for its efforts to make this event possible. It is my sincere hope that through the China-Africa Dialogue Platform, we will be able to encourage and facilitate the constructive engagement and dialogue among policymakers, researchers, scholars, entrepreneurs and the general public on the growing partnership between China and Africa.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The world is undergoing significant changes and the development gap between the North and the South is widening. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has provided guidance to national development and international development cooperation in the next 15 years. Africa, is faced with both opportunities and challenges in achieving SDGs. It is important for us to look into issues pertinent to Africa’s economic and social development as well as peace and security. Thus, the Forum today is timely and important.
As the largest developing country in the world, China attaches great importance to sustainable development and is making great efforts to implement 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. Over the past 20 years, China has lifted over 400 million people out of poverty, reduced the mortality of children under five years old by two thirds and that of pregnant women by three fourths, setting up the world's largest social security net for health care and pensions. In the meantime, China has recently released National Plan for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda, seeking coordinated development guided by the concept featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared development. We will seek to lift the remaining 57 million people out of poverty by 2020.
China has also been playing a leading and creative role in global development cooperation. China has achieved Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) within the time-frame and provided support to more than 120 developing countries. During the UN Sustainable Development Summit last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would set up the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, with an initial contribution of $2 billion, continue to increase investment in the least developed countries and exempt the debts of the outstanding intergovernmental interest-free loans due by the end of 2015 owed by the least developed countries, landlocked and small island developing countries.
As initiated by China, promoting inclusive and interconnected development was listed as one of the four key agenda items of the G20 Summit which recently concluded in Hangzhou, China. It was the first time that the new initiative on supporting industrialization in Africa and the least developed countries was adopted in the G20 Summit. This is another example that China stands ready to work with other international partners to contribute to the construction of a community of shared destiny and make unremitting efforts for the realization of the SDGs for Africa.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries. It is also the continent full of opportunities and great potentials. Over the past decade, Africa has been regarded as the fastest growing continent, as demonstrated by growth rate of many African countries including Ethiopia and Angola. The commitment of African countries to seeking strength from unity and to African integration has gained momentum as well. Agenda 2063, a blueprint for Africa's development has been drawn and industrialization and agricultural modernization have become the common goals of African countries. Thus, the implementation of the SDGs and Agenda 2063, whose objectives are highly converged, could be Africa’s hope of transformation from underdevelopment to growth and prosperity.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. China enjoys traditional friendship with many African countries and is a strong supporter and facilitator of Africa’s development. On the basis of equality, mutual support and mutual benefit, China and Africa have developed a comprehensive partnership with close cooperation on trade, investment, economic development, climate change and peace and security. China has played a key role in assisting African countries in reducing poverty, enhancing public services including education, health care and job creation, in addition to China’s investment and assistance in agriculture, water management, infrastructure and industrialization.
Last December, the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC) was successfully held in Johannesburg, which opened a new era of win-win cooperation and common development between China and Africa, and marked a milestone in the history of China-Africa relations. In late July this year, the coordinators’ meeting of the implementation of the follow-up actions of the Johannesburg Summit was convened successfully in Beijing, during which 61 cooperation agreements totaling $18.2 billion were inked. Over the past 9 months since the conclusion of the Summit, China and Africa have signed 245 cooperation agreements in various fields, reaching a total amount of $50.8 billion. China is now deeply involved in Africa's development with a new focus on financing and investment cooperation, marking a new stage of higher level of economic cooperation and trade between China and Africa.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Half a century ago, Chinese leaders made visionary decision to help build Tanzara Railway. The 1860-kilometer-long railway has been a great symbol of China-Africa friendship. Next week, the Addis-Djibouti Railway constructed by Chinese companies will be officially inaugurated. This is another vivid testimony of China’s firm commitment to Africa’s sustainable development.
China and Africa is standing at a historical starting point, facing golden opportunities. We are perfect partners, each with distinct advantages in our cooperative development. Despite its economic downturn pressure, China’s policy of expanding engagement with Africa’s peace and development will not change, nor will its commitment to the deepening of cooperation with Africa. China will continue to pursue common, intensive, green, safe and open development together with Africa, support Africa in its efforts for accelerated industrialization and agricultural modernization, and help Africa realize independent and sustainable development.
The Chinese Mission to the African Union is ready to work with Oxfam and other partners, think tanks and experts to identify challenges and opportunities, come up with good recommendations for policy makers, and help promote China-Africa partnership to a new height.
Thank you.