This year, Altini Natacha Goumbri, a student from Burkina Faso studying at Wuhan University in Wuhan, Hubei province, had a birthday to remember
She was moved to tears when more than 30 employees of the expressway construction project where Goumbri is receiving a month of training celebrated her 23rd birthday with her on Wednesday.
At the university’s School of Civil Engineering, Goumbri is a junior majoring in engineering management. During the construction of the expressway, two additional African students are receiving training to do tasks including quality control and daily record keeping.
Every day at eight in the morning, they depart for the project site while wearing red safety helmets and reflective vests. The international students put in a lot of effort measuring the distance between concrete bars and becoming acquainted with contemporary construction equipment and scaffolds.
Ouedraogo Franck Aristide K from Burkina Faso said, “I have learned to grasp several words that I didn’t understand in class by practicing on the website.
According to Wu Huizhong, the project’s technology leader, special training programmes for the kids have been created, and seasoned engineers have been chosen to serve as their mentors.
Goumbri has always wanted to be a building engineer.
“After I graduate in a year, I’ll apply what I learn in China to developing my home nation. And I’ll do everything I can to foster goodwill between China and Africa “She spoke.
Wuhan University’s three African students receive training while working on an expressway in Hubei province.
During the construction of an expressway in Wuhan, three African students from Wuhan University receive training.
The first batch of fresh avocados from Kenya, the largest avocado exporter in Africa, is set to arrive in China late this month. The export will increase Kenya’s foreign exchange earnings and benefit the country’s farmers.
It will also set a good example of closer agricultural cooperation between China and Africa under the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035.
On Tuesday local time, four containers of fresh avocados were packed in Kenya.
They will be shipped by sea and arrive at Shanghai Port in late August, reporters learned from Shanghai-based Greenchain Information Science and Technology. The company plans to ship 150 containers of Kenyan avocados to China in 2022.
The first batch of Kenyan avocados will be sold at Shanghai’s fresh markets, as well as supermarkets and online channels in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in South China’s Guangdong Province, Ji Dongping, general manager of Greenchain, told the reporters on Thursday.
Export of avocados to China is expected to increase Kenya’s foreign exchange earnings, boost local economy, said Ji.
▲Kenya is ready to export the first batch of fresh avocado to China, it is set to arrive in late August, 2022 | Photo: courtesy of Shanghai Greenchain Information Science and Technology
Kenya is the sixth-largest exporter of avocados in the world and the largest on the African continent. Its avocado exports have risen steadily over the past three years but account for only 10 percent of its total production, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
“It is estimated that exports to the Chinese market will account for 40 percent of Kenya’s total avocado output, which will greatly improve the incomes of local farmers,” Ji said.
Avocados are still a niche product in China, where they are mainly sold in large cities. With Chinese consumption keeping growing, sales of avocados have great potential, Ji said.
Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China.
During the eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2021, China and its African partners released the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, taking a solid step forward in building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.
Under the Vision, China-Africa annual trade is expected to reach $300 billion in 2035. China is committed to supporting Africa in increasing its export capacity. It is strengthening cooperation with African countries in the areas of inspection and quarantine of agricultural produce.
As an early harvest of the Vision, China and Kenya signed an export agreement for fresh avocado shipment in January.
With joint cooperation and coordination between China and Kenya, it only took half a year from the signing of the agreement to actual exports. On July 27, a sample of 72 kilograms of fresh Kenyan avocados arrived in China.
“The whole [customs] process has been smooth and as a trader, we feel it is becoming more convenient in terms of food inspection and customs clearance. It used to take two to three days to clear customs, but now it only takes one day,” Lü Cuifeng, chairman of Greenchain, told reporters on Thursday.
In addition to helping Africa export agricultural products, more Chinese companies are investing and building factories in Africa for food processing, helping create more local jobs, Lü said.
▲Kenya is ready to export first batch of fresh avocado to China, it is set to arrive in late August, 2022 | Photo: courtesy of Shanghai Greenchain Information Science and Technology
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years.
According to China’s General Administration of Customs, total trade between China and Africa in 2021 reached $254.3 billion, up 35.3 percent year-on-year. Africa exported $105.9 billion of goods to China, up 43.7 percent year-on-year.
Over the past 10 years, China created 18,562 jobs a year on average in Africa, according to a Swiss-African Business Circle report.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday issued a statement on Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region. Following is the full text of the statement:
On 2 August, in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence”. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious démarche and strong protest to the United States.
There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This has been clearly recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.
In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-U.S. Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations — “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” Congress, as a part of the U.S. Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the U.S. Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region. China is all along opposed to the visit to Taiwan by U.S. congressional members, and the U.S. executive branch has the responsibility to stop such visit. Since Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the U.S. Congress, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation to upgrade U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan. China absolutely does not accept this, and the Chinese people absolutely reject this.
The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations. The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo. The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking U.S. support for their independence agenda. They refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, go all out to push forward “de-sinicization”, and promote “incremental independence”. The United States, for its part, has been attempting to use Taiwan to contain China. It constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens “Taiwan independence” separatist activities. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.
The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. No country, no forces and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation. China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the U.S. Speaker’s visit. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.
China and the United States are two major countries. The right way for them to deal with each other lies only in mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, no-confrontation and win-win cooperation. The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, and no other country is entitled to act as a judge on the Taiwan question. China strongly urges the United States to stop playing the “Taiwan card” and using Taiwan to contain China. It should stop meddling on Taiwan and interfering in China’s internal affairs. It should stop supporting and conniving at “Taiwan independence” separatist forces in any form. It should stop its acts of saying one thing but doing the opposite on the Taiwan question. It should stop distorting, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle. It must take credible actions to observe strictly the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, deliver on the “five noes” commitment made by the U.S. leadership (i.e. not seek a “new Cold War”; not seek to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support “Taiwan independence”; not look for conflict with China), and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path.
In disregard of China’s solemn representations, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brazenly went ahead with her visit to China’s Taiwan region, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
This move seriously violates the one-China principle, maliciously infringes on China’s sovereignty and blatantly engages in political provocations, which has aroused strong indignation among the Chinese people and widespread opposition from the international community.
It proves once again that some U.S. politicians have become “troublemakers” of China-U.S. relations, and that the United States has become the “biggest destroyer” of peace across the Taiwan Strait and for regional stability.
The United States should not dream of obstructing China’s reunification. Taiwan is a part of China. The complete reunification of China is the trend of the times and an inevitability of history. We will leave no room for the “Taiwan independence” forces and external interference.
No matter how the United States supports or connives at the “Taiwan independence” forces, it will be all in vain. The United States will only leave more ugly records of gross meddling in other countries’ internal affairs in history. The Taiwan question arose when the country was weak and chaotic at the time, and will surely end with national rejuvenation.
The United States should not fantasize about undermining China’s development and revitalization. China has found a correct development path in line with its own national conditions. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, 1.4 billion Chinese people are striding towards the Chinese-style modernization.
We put the development of our country and nation on the basis of our own strength, and are willing to coexist peacefully and develop together with other countries. But we will never allow any country to undermine China’s stability and development.
Provoking trouble on the Taiwan question in an attempt to delay China’s development and undermine China’s peaceful rise will be totally futile and will surely lead to total failure.
The United States should not fantasize about manipulating geopolitical games. Seeking peace, stability, development and win-win cooperation are the common aspirations of regional countries.
The introduction of the Taiwan question into the regional strategy by the United States, which inflates tensions and stokes confrontation, is against the trend of regional development and goes against the expectations of the people in the Asia-Pacific. This is very dangerous and stupid.
The one-China principle has become a basic norm governing international relations and an integral part of the post-Second World War international order.
What the United States should do is to immediately stop violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and stop playing the “Taiwan card” to disrupt the Asia-Pacific region.
The United States should not fantasize about distorting facts at will. The U.S. side claimed that China is escalating the situation, but the basic facts are that the United States first provoked China on the Taiwan question and blatantly violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The U.S. side claimed that there was a precedent of the U.S. House speaker visiting Taiwan. Yet the basic truth is that past mistakes cannot be used as an excuse to repeat them today.
The U.S. side claimed that it cannot restrain the Congress due to the separation of powers. But the basic norm of international law is that the United States must fulfill its international obligations, and key politicians should not misbehave.
It also claimed that China’s pursuit of reunification is a “threat” to Taiwan, but the basic logic is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. It is lawful and justified that China upholds territorial integrity and opposes secession.
I want to stress that the one-China principle is the key stabilizing force for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and the three China-U.S. joint communiques are the real “guardrails” for peaceful coexistence between China and the United States.
Clinging to the United States to seek “independence” is a dead end, and attempts to use the Taiwan question to contain China are doomed to failure.
In the face of the great cause of national unification, the Chinese people have the gut not to be misled by fallacies or scared by evils, the ambition to never be intimidated or crushed, the determination to unite as one, and the ability to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and national dignity.
(Photos Courtesy of World Youth Development Forum)
Around 2,000 youth representatives from more than 100 countries attended the World Youth Development Forum, which was held online and offline in several cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Nanjing.
The three days event from Thursday 21 July 2022 to Saturday 23 July 2022 organized by the All-China Youth Federation and supported by the International Labour Organization, UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNCCD, the United Nations System in China and the World Economic Forum. Hosted by Tsinghua University, China Youth College for Political Science, Chinese Youth daily, China youth Development Foundation, CYIC and China youth entrepreneurship and employment foundation, Co-organized by the Institute of Contemporary World and China, China Youth New Media Association, Beijing Young People’s Federation, and Union of Foreign Affairs Universities.
The youthdiscussed the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, calling for more inclusive efforts in the areas of”Employment and Entrepreneurship,” “Climate Change and Green Development” , “Digital Economy” , “Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education.”
Under the theme “For a Shared Future: Promoting Sustainable Development with Youth and for Youth” , the International Youth Priority Development Initiative was launched and preparations made for releasing the Global Action Plan on Youth development.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced by the UN 2030 Agenda have long been an important direction for the world’s youth to work together for a better future. This forum sets the stage for the world’s youth, and more voices of youth are heard by the world.
A video message by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, called upon young people to play an active role in all aspects of political, economic and social life.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Youth, Jayatma Wickramanayake, noted in a keynote speech via video, that the United Nations youth strategy, “Youth 2030,” works to ensure that every young person is fully included in the realization of the 2030 Agenda.
In congratulatory letter, President Xi Jinping urged young people to represent hope and create a brighter tomorrow, through promoting humanity and facilitating the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Xi also noted that the World Youth Development Forum is committed to letting the world hear the voice and demonstration of youth globally through promotion of youth responsibility, development and unity that transcends barriers and differences, to build a global bridge for youth to communicate and learn from each other.
At the forum, He Junke, first secretary of the CYL Secretariat, called for more attention to the voice of youth and firmly believing in the power of youth. All countries should give priority to promoting youth development. Young people from all over the world should strengthen exchanges and cooperation and contribute their youth to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Various key note speakers such as;; Gabriela Ramos, the Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO, , Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and Chang Qide, UN Resident Coordinator in China and. President Bazoum of Niger who delivered a video message at the forum, re echoed Youth development as vital to global development, calling for youth participation as equal partners and stakeholders in policy development and implementation.
On July 27,2022 the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Ambassador Lin Songtian invited representatives of African youth leaders in Beijing to visit the CPAFFC, and had in-depth exchanges with them on China’s development history, achievements and experience, China-Africa friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation, international situation and other issues of common concern to increase understanding, understanding and friendship. Ji Yongjun, Deputy Director of the Asian and African Department, and others were present at the meeting. The 8 young leaders invited this time are leaders of international students from Gabon, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Mali, Chad, Zambia and other countries studying at Peking University, Tsinghua University among other universities in Beijing.
Amb. Lin Songtian introduced the great history and achievements of China’s reform and opening up and poverty alleviation, and said that China adheres to the leadership of the Communist Party and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and fully implements President Xi Jinping’s people-centered development thought, which has created rapid economic development and social development: The “two miracles” of long-term stability. China has embarked on a path of peaceful and civilized development that suits its own national conditions with Chinese characteristics, which not only benefits all of the more than 1.4 billion people, but also provides new hope and new choices for developing countries in Africa to pursue independent and sustainable development. Combining his own experience, Amb. Lin Songtian interpreted China’s policy concept on Africa and the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and mentioned that China and Africa are natural good friends, good brothers and good partners, and China-Africa cooperation has broad prospects for development.
President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to China-Africa relations. He has visited Africa many times and attended the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Beijing Summit together with leaders of African countries, opening a new era of win-win cooperation and common development between China and Africa. The Chinese side has always kept its promises, and has always been committed to helping Africa to give priority to solving the three development bottlenecks of lagging infrastructure, lack of talents and shortage of funds, and to improve the ability of independent and sustainable development. The results of China-Africa cooperation in various fields are visible and tangible. ‘’Get it, feel it, and benefit the people of both sides’’. Amb. Lin Songtian said that at present, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation as a century of changes intertwined with the epidemic of the century.
The global economy has fallen into a downturn, and less developed countries in Africa have become victims of geopolitics in the United States and the West. Africa is rich in natural and human resources, full of hope and vitality. Africa has been and is on the rise. Africa is in urgent need of infrastructure construction and human resource development, two major developments capacity building and financial support. Only by strengthening solidarity and cooperation can China and Africa jointly cope with risks and challenges, seek win-win cooperation and promote common development. Amb. Lin Songtian is looking forward to the African youth to travel around China, conduct on-the-spot research on China’s development concepts and successful practices, enrich their knowledge, increase their ability to promote development and benefit the people, and translate what they have seen, heard and learned in China to promote African development and China-Africa cooperation.
The African side thanked Amb. Lin Songtian for his warm invitation and in-depth interpretation, expressed sincere admiration for China’s development achievements, and full of confidence in the future China-Africa cooperation. They are willing to bring what they have seen and heard back to Africa for the benefit of the African people. They hope that the CPAFFC can continue this dialogue mechanism in the future, continue to organize African youths to visit various places in China, and go to the grassroots to inspect China’s modernization construction practice.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the UN World Food Program (WFP), and the Famine Early Warning System Network said in a statement recently, that millions of people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia face starvation due to severe drought.
More than seven million livestock have also died putting lives of millions of people in danger. The drought in the Horn of Africa is a recurrent problem year in year out. It’s not new. How can the countries affected reverse the trend and become more food secure?
Guoqi Wu, the associate vice-president of the Corporate Services Department at International Fund for Agriculture Development( IFAD), said in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency that, “Sino-Africa cooperation in the agriculture sector could inject vitality into the continent’s quest to attain food security and tackle rural poverty.”
Wu said that China has for decades played a major role to help revolutionize Africa’s farming systems and feeding a rapidly growing population. “China, which became a member of IFAD in the 1980s, has provided the resources and expertise required to transform food production systems in a continent grappling with climate-induced food and nutrition insecurity, Wu added.”
It should be known that China is the biggest donor of IFAD among developing countries, and has partnered with UN agencies to promote South-South Cooperation that has been beneficial to Africa’s agriculture improvement.
In 2018, China contributed 10 million U.S. dollars to facilitate the setting up of a facility whose mission is to support knowledge sharing, transfer of technology, and good practices that can transform agriculture in developing countries including Africa, Wu said. It should also be noted that China has opened up agricultural demonstration centres in many countries in Africa to train farmers and agricultural experts on how to increase crop yields.
Wu said that African nations can borrow lessons from China, which has managed to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, thanks to the adoption of forward-looking policies and new technologies. China eradicated absolute poverty in 2020, achieving the first UN Sustainable Development Goal 10 years ahead of schedule.
“I think the very first takeaway or best practices that China can share with African countries is the confidence that a world free of poverty and hunger is not a utopia, it is something which is attainable,” Wu stressed.
In a recent meeting of ministers for agricultural and rural affairs of the BRICS countries held virtually, China also called on BRICS countries to cooperate in order to stabilize food security. The member countries also agreed to establish an annual mechanism, the BRICS Agriculture and Rural Development Forum, to address issues close to their hearts and of global concern.
This is a good example to show that China is taking the lead to end hunger globally by providing both financial support to IFAD and also sharing best practices with other countries especially in the global South.
Author: Hanane Thamik is currently a Ph.D. scholar at the School of Information Management, Wuhan University, simultaneously a member of the Morocco-China Friendship Exchange Association, the author of CGTN Africa, Africa-China Review and the Canadian magazine ( Etats de splendeur ). She was chosen as Morocco’s youth representative for the Belt and Road initiative by the Moroccan embassy in China, the Arab youth participant in the 9th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum 2020, the Ambassador of Wuhan City to the world by Changjiang Weekly Magazine, and the Moroccan Youth Representative 2020 (FOCAC, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs). She also won the awards of the Belt and Road Tourism ambassador 2019, the Outstanding African Student in China 2018, the Cultural Achievement Award by UNESCO, the Wuhan University Outstanding International Students award 2019 and 2021, the Maotai scholarship “Excellent academic performance and outstanding overall performance 2019 and 2021,” the outstanding individual among international students fighting novel coronavirus pneumonia 2020, the only Moroccan winner of the essay contest named “experience China -our anti-epidemic story” 2020 (China Scholarship Council), the Chinese Government Outstanding International Student in China 2020 ( China Scholarship Council ), the winner of the 5th “My Beautiful Encounter with China” essay contest for international students in China, and recently the first prize of the competition of the 37th Chu Cai Composition Competition. She was one of the successful 54 young people worldwide who has been selected to participate in a training program organized by the United Nations in Switzerland 2019. She has also more than 20 publications among them the United Nations Geneva 2019 report and Peking University 5000-mile reports 2020 and 2021 which were handed to high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Beijing.
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated the trial runs of Africa’s first electrified LRT system on Sunday, July 3rd, several Chinese and Egyptian media have reported. The US$ 1.2 billion LRT project is financed by a loan from Exim Bank of China and jointly built by Chinese and Egyptian companies under the Belt and Road initiative. Once completed, it will cover a total distance of 103.3 kilometers with 19 stations and connect the New Administrative Capital under construction east of Cairo with surrounding cities and districts. The Sunday inauguration concerned the first phase of the project, which covers a distance of about 70 kilometers with 12 stations and consists of 22 trains that will serve 360 000 passengers on a daily basis, Chinese official media have reported. Egypt’s plan to upgrade the transportation system The electrified LRT is one of the major projects underway in Egypt aimed at boosting the country’s transportation system. Over the past eight years, the Northern African country has undertaken several major projects for transport infrastructure development, Egypt’s Ahram Online has reported. An example is the National Road Project, launched in 2014, under which 5500 kilometers of new roads have been built. Egypt Today and Egypt Independent also reported the ongoing implementation of an express electric train network set to span over 1825 kilometers, a US$ 3 billion monorail project, and a fourth metro line in Al Haram Street. Receiving support from China Talking about the new LRT, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang emphasized the significant role China plays in supporting Egypt’s transportation system upgrade. “The project was financed by China, adopted Chinese technology and equipment, and was jointly implemented by Chinese and Egyptian enterprises,” Xinhua News Agency quoted Ambassador Liao. China’s contribution is also visible at the level of human capital development given that such projects help build the capacity of young Egyptians who support their construction and maintenance, through training and experience gain.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the UN World Food Program (WFP), and the Famine Early Warning System Network said in a statement recently, that millions of people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia face starvation due to severe drought.
More than seven million livestock have also died putting lives of millions of people in danger. The drought in the Horn of Africa is a recurrent problem year in year out. It’s not new. How can the countries affected reverse the trend and become more food secure?
Guoqi Wu, the associate vice-president of the Corporate Services Department at International Fund for Agriculture Development( IFAD), said in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency that, “Sino-Africa cooperation in the agriculture sector could inject vitality into the continent’s quest to attain food security and tackle rural poverty.”
Wu said that China has for decades played a major role to help revolutionize Africa’s farming systems and feeding a rapidly growing population. “China, which became a member of IFAD in the 1980s, has provided the resources and expertise required to transform food production systems in a continent grappling with climate-induced food and nutrition insecurity, Wu added.”
It should be known that China is the biggest donor of IFAD among developing countries, and has partnered with UN agencies to promote South-South Cooperation that has been beneficial to Africa’s agriculture improvement.
In 2018, China contributed 10 million U.S. dollars to facilitate the setting up of a facility whose mission is to support knowledge sharing, transfer of technology, and good practices that can transform agriculture in developing countries including Africa, Wu said. It should also be noted that China has opened up agricultural demonstration centres in many countries in Africa to train farmers and agricultural experts on how to increase crop yields.
Wu said that African nations can borrow lessons from China, which has managed to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, thanks to the adoption of forward-looking policies and new technologies. China eradicated absolute poverty in 2020, achieving the first UN Sustainable Development Goal 10 years ahead of schedule.
“I think the very first takeaway or best practices that China can share with African countries is the confidence that a world free of poverty and hunger is not a utopia, it is something which is attainable,” Wu stressed.
In a recent meeting of ministers for agricultural and rural affairs of the BRICS countries held virtually, China also called on BRICS countries to cooperate in order to stabilize food security. The member countries also agreed to establish an annual mechanism, the BRICS Agriculture and Rural Development Forum, to address issues close to their hearts and of global concern.
This is a good example to show that China is taking the lead to end hunger globally by providing both financial support to IFAD and also sharing best practices with other countries especially in the global South.
Author: Hanane Thamik is currently a Ph.D. scholar at the School of Information Management, Wuhan University, simultaneously a member of the Morocco-China Friendship Exchange Association, the author of CGTN Africa, Africa-China Review and the Canadian magazine ( Etats de splendeur ). She was chosen as Morocco’s youth representative for the Belt and Road initiative by the Moroccan embassy in China, the Arab youth participant in the 9th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum 2020, the Ambassador of Wuhan City to the world by Changjiang Weekly Magazine, and the Moroccan Youth Representative 2020 (FOCAC, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs). She also won the awards of the Belt and Road Tourism ambassador 2019, the Outstanding African Student in China 2018, the Cultural Achievement Award by UNESCO, the Wuhan University Outstanding International Students award 2019 and 2021, the Maotai scholarship “Excellent academic performance and outstanding overall performance 2019 and 2021,” the outstanding individual among international students fighting novel coronavirus pneumonia 2020, the only Moroccan winner of the essay contest named “experience China -our anti-epidemic story” 2020 (China Scholarship Council), the Chinese Government Outstanding International Student in China 2020 ( China Scholarship Council ), the winner of the 5th “My Beautiful Encounter with China” essay contest for international students in China, and recently the first prize of the competition of the 37th Chu Cai Composition Competition. She was one of the successful 54 young people worldwide who has been selected to participate in a training program organized by the United Nations in Switzerland 2019. She has also more than 20 publications among them the United Nations Geneva 2019 report and Peking University 5000-mile reports 2020 and 2021 which were handed to high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Beijing.
Transsion Holdings’ brand Tecno Mobile announced Thursday that it would launch a mobile money service in Kenya by mid-this month, Business Daily Africa reported. The brand piloted its wallet last month in Nigeria and plans to organize launches in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal by the end of 2022.
Tecno smartphone users will use the wallet for a range of services, including buying products from small businesses and retailers, purchasing data and airtime, and paying their bills.
APO Group issued a press release on behalf of TECNO Mobile, which explains that the Tecno Wallet aims to “build a digital and financial hub and lifestyle platform that aggregates products, services, and merchants from across the market, allowing TECNO users to transact, access credit and enjoy exclusive rewards and promotions as soon as they unbox their smartphone.”
According to the statement, users will download the wallet on selected existing smartphone series, and the wallet will also be readily available as a pre-installed app on new Tecno smartphones.
China’s most admired brand in Africa
In its 2022 report, Brand Africa ranks Tecno as the sixth most admired brand in Africa, all categories included. It was also the first Chinese brand in the ranking, followed by two other Transsion Holdings brands, namely Itel and Infinix. They ranked 15th and 25th respectively.
The three smartphone brands also led Africa’s smartphones and feature phones market, with a combined share of 47.9 percent of Africa’s smartphones market and 78 percent of Africa’s feature phones market in the 4th quarter of 2021, according to data from the International Data Corporation.
Taping into Africa’s booming fintech sector
Tecno Mobile is now seeking to use its leadership in the smartphone market to tap into the continent’s burgeoning fintech sector. The press release explains, “according to a 2022 global study conducted by VISA (https://vi.sa/3MwhUFY), more than 40 percent of consumers have already embraced cashless transactions or will only use digital payments within the next two years. Additionally, 59 percent of small business owners stated they plan to exclusively accept digital payments within the same timeframe.” And Africa is no different.
A 2018 report by McKinsey presented Africa’s payment and banking market as the second-fastest growing and second-most profitable in the world, after Latin America. Such growth has translated into increased investment in the sector and the rise of several startups and services with which Tecno Wallet will be competing.
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