Amb. Liu Yuxi,Head of Chinese Mission to the African Union
Addis Ababa, 30 May, 2019
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
Throughout this afternoon, we have had fruitful discussions on synergies between the BRI and Africa’s development agenda, and the three topics of trade cooperation, infrastructure and energy cooperation, and the role of entrepreneurs in China-Africa cooperation under the BRI. Based on personal experiences at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and the speakers’ respective professional expertise, moderators and keynote speakers have raised many insightful issues as to how to promote China-Africa cooperation under the BRI and better synergize Chinese and African development strategies, which is of great value for the implementation work in relevant fields. The three and half hours elapsed quickly in your lively discussions and interactions, your industriousness and participation should be highly complimented.
This dialogue is widely participated by representatives from African countries, external partners, international organizations, African think tanks and Chinese businesses. It provided a new platform for dialogue and exchanges between governments and businesses. Wide-ranging consensuses were reached on how to jointly construct the Belt and Road with high quality. The dialogue proves that China-Africa cooperation under the BRI will pool our strengths and hearts together for a bright future.
We call on all parties to pool wisdom and strengths to join the cooperation under the BRI. It is widely agreed that self-imposed isolation will miss out on development opportunities, and the historical trend calls for openness and cooperation. The 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation opened up a new chapter for BRI cooperation, providing guidance for China-Africa cooperation under the BRI. As developing countries, China and African countries face similar socio-economic development tasks. By joining our efforts under the BRI, we should push ahead with the implementation of achievements made at the Belt and Road Forum and FOCAC Beijing Summit to enlarge our cooperation for mutual benefits. Speakers spoke highly of the significance of international cooperation under the BRI and expressed interests in participation. China welcomes more African countries and external partners to join the BRI, transcending regions and development phases to build a partnership that promotes global connectivity and common development. Win-win and common win can be achieved through trilateral and multilateral cooperation.
We should broaden our vision of cooperation to boost Africa’s development through the BRI. We agree that China-Africa cooperation based on equal treatment and reciprocity has made positive contributions to Africa’s socio-economic development. We should capitalize on the momentum of the BRI to synergize our development strategies for wider, higher and deeper China-Africa cooperation. We should start from Africa’s blueprints for the development of infrastructure, agriculture, industry and energy to identify new synergies, and build trans-national and trans-regional connectivity that is high-standard, sustainable and beneficial to the people’s welfare. We will capitalize on the AfCFTA to connect African and Chinese markets to promote the free movement of goods, persons, capital and technologies, quicken the pace of “soft connectivity” of policies, regulations and standards, and take concrete measures to promote coordinated development in the interests of safeguarding the momentum of economic globalization and trade facilitation. I would like to take this opportunity to once again congratulate on the entering in force of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area. China is willing to further open our market through cooperation under the BRI and provide more support to Africa’s inclusive and sustainable growth.
We call upon all parties to stick to innovation and market rules, and create conditions for businesses to play its positive role in cooperation under the BRI. We agree that the ongoing fourth industrial revolution characterized by big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence are in the ascendant and digital economy is a new engine powering Africa’s economic growth. China and Africa should persevere in innovation-led development and upgrade industries through the BRI and promote the development of new industries. Businesses have unique advantages in scientific and technological innovation. Chinese and African businesses should catch up with the new trend of Africa’s economic development to explore cooperation potential in areas such as E-commerce and digital economy, and boost the all-value-chain cooperation in design, investment, construction, operation and maintenance. We should rely on technological innovation to overcome geographical barriers and infrastructure bottlenecks, thus quickening the pace of transformation and upgrading of China-Africa cooperation to make it more effective and efficient. China is willing to join hands with African countries to create favorable policy and investment environment for businesses to take part in the BRI and build a virtuous facilitation mechanism between governments and businesses.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
The international environment has been undergoing profound changes since the beginning of this year. Against multiplying uncertain and unstable factors, the Chinese economy is progressing stably on a path of high-quality development. Our first quarter GDP growth rate is 6.4%, with optimized industrial structure and long-term growth prospects in good shape. Against the rising tide of counter-globalization, unilateralism, and protectionism, China will not slow down its pace of reform and opening up. We will uphold market principles and internationally-applicable regulations to implement the all-around opening-up strategy, and strengthen international cooperation in intellectual property rights. We will strengthen international coordination of macro-economic policies and fulfill our own development in the progress of the whole world. Our aim is to share development opportunities through the BRI for common prosperity.
It is my firm belief that if Chinese and African peoples join our efforts, the ancient ideas of the Belt and Road will gain new energy in the new era and we will be able to make greater contributions to the establishment of the even closer China-Africa community with shared future.
Thank you.