“From agricultural transformation to industrial development, from e-commerce to education, China’s poverty alleviation practice has fully demonstrated China’s institutional advantages and the wisdom of the Chinese people, highlighted the governance capabilities of the Chinese government, and set an example for other countries in the world.”

In February this year, the Moroccan mainstream journal “Challenge Weekly” published an article entitled “China’s Poverty Alleviation Practice in the Eyes of a Moroccan Youth”, introducing China’s poverty reduction achievements to the world. The author of the article is Hanane Thamik, a Moroccan girl who is studying for a doctorate in e-commerce at Wuhan University. In China, she prefers to be called by her Chinese name – Hexiaona.

During her study abroad, Hexiaona visited Xing County, Shanxi Province under the organization of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The local e-commerce poverty alleviation measures attracted her attention. “The agricultural products with distinctive local characteristics have been carefully sorted, deeply processed, and creatively packaged, and the price has doubled. Villagers use Internet retailers and live broadcast platforms to sell these agricultural products. While increasing income, it also brings new momentum to rural economic development.” In Hexiaona’s view, the Chinese government has vigorously popularized digital infrastructure and organized e-commerce training. The rapid development of rural e-commerce has become an important tool for farmers to get rid of poverty. During this visit, Hexiaona also put forward her own suggestions from a professional perspective on topics such as how to strengthen the construction of rural information service stations, establish e-commerce stations for poverty alleviation, and further cultivate e-commerce talents.

“Seeing is better than seeing. Studying in China has made me no longer limit my imagination to this country with a vast land, rich resources and a large population. I am proud of witnessing the vigorous development of China, and I am very proud of the fact that my trip was worthwhile and I have gained a lot. “Having lived in China for 8 years, Hexiaona has a deep affection for the land under her feet.

Hexiaona was deeply impressed by an ordinary Wuhan morning. The sky has just appeared a touch of fish belly white, the streets have been bustling with passers-by, sanitation workers are cleaning the streets, taxis are running through the streets, and hot noodles in snack shops have come out of the pot… “I am deeply moved by the hard work of the Chinese people. It is these ordinary workers who have created China’s development miracle.” She believes that China’s amazing development achievements in the past few decades are neither easy nor coincidental. “The leadership of the Communist Party of China has ensured the implementation and continuity of various policies, created a stable development environment, and safeguarded the country’s long-term peace and stability.”

During the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Hexiaona chose to stay behind to fight the epidemic with the Chinese people. She donated the 5,000 yuan she had accumulated and told the world the story of China’s fight against the epidemic with her personal experience. “Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people are united to fight the epidemic. This experience of fighting the epidemic with the Chinese people is an unforgettable memory in my life.” Hexiaona said emotionally.

Youth is the future of China-Africa friendship. He Xiaona is a member of the Africa-China Leadership Association, which regularly hosts webinars on topics such as China-Africa technology and business to build a platform for youth exchanges. Hexiaona writes weekly articles on Africa-China cooperation for the association. “I sincerely hope that young people in African countries will fully learn from China’s development experience and become the main force in Africa’s poverty reduction in the future, promote Africa’s economic and social development, and continue the friendship between African and Chinese people from generation to generation.” Hexiaona said.

President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for media outlets in China and African countries to become facilitators of people-to-people exchanges and guardians of equity and justice to jointly advocate global development.

Xi made the remark in a congratulatory message sent to the fifth Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation. The two-day event, which opened on Thursday in Beijing, was attended by more than 240 representatives from China and 42 African countries, including media workers and diplomats.

Noting that China and African countries are a community with a shared future, Xi said in his message that media outlets of both sides shoulder a significant responsibility in areas such as enhancing mutual trust and cooperation and maintaining world peace.

Since the forum was established 10 years ago, it has provided a major platform for advancing dialogue and cooperation between Chinese and African media outlets and played a positive role in deepening the China-Africa comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said.

He expressed his hope that the media outlets in China and African countries will carry forward China-Africa friendship and cooperation and join hands in telling well the stories of both sides, thus making contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Since China and Senegal now co-chair the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Senegalese President Macky Sall also sent a congratulatory message to the forum.

Sall said the event, held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, is a sign of Chinese and African countries’ collective resilience and determination to move forward in implementing their common agenda.

He also praised the long-term tradition of Sino-African cooperation in culture, art and media through exchanges of various programs that promote reciprocal cooperation and mutual understanding between the peoples.

Over the past decade, the two sides have jointly undertaken a series of media cooperation projects for the benefit of people, including “The 10,000 Villages” project.

Aimed at providing 10,000 villages in Africa with digital satellite TV, this people-to-people exchange project was one of the 10 major cooperation plans proposed by Xi at the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg Summit.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the forum, Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said China is willing to work with African countries to actively build a global media environment that focuses on development and cooperation.

He also urged the two sides to enhance communication and share opportunities in such fields as digital technology and digital economy to help bridge the digital divide.

Gregoire Ndjaka, CEO of the African Union of Broadcasting, said in a video speech that the forum “is by far one of the most beneficial for Africa. This benefit is particularly evident in the training programs that China offered to African media practitioners.”

So far, China has provided training for more than 3,000 media workers from African countries.

The People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that “the question of Taiwan is the most important, the most extremely important, and the most sensitive issue in Sino-American relations” and recalls Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visiting the Taiwan region on August 2 “in defiance of strong opposition and protests from China.” According to the Chinese government, this visit significantly violates the three Sino-American joint communiqués’ provisions, the one-China principle, and the political foundation of Sino-American ties.

Li Changlin, the Chinese ambassador to Morocco, reaffirmed his country’s position on the issue. According to the diplomat, this “controversial” visit “betrays American pledges to China.” In order to prevent the return of the law of the jungle, he added, “We have no choice but to protect our sovereignty, our integrity, and we argue that the principle of non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states cannot be disregarded or abandoned.” He stated that “until now, we have counted 181 countries with which we have established diplomatic relations following the one-China principle,” adding that “the one-China principle is the object of consensus of the international community and also constitutes a fundamental norm governing relations between China and foreign countries.”

The Chinese ambassador to Morocco remembers how important the Taiwan issue was to China. This issue immediately affects China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to Chinese perceptions, he said. The ambassador said in his statement that this crucial issue for China is also important for all nations that value peace and recalled the sacredness of the rule of not interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign States.

The ambassador reviewed the measures Beijing has taken to protect its integrity and recalled the military actions conducted in a “transparent and reasonable approach to oppose any aspirations at independence from Taiwan.” The Chinese ambassador also used this occasion to praise Morocco for its “continuous support for all topics of fundamental significance to China, including the Chinese position on Taiwan,” and to congratulate Rabat and Beijing on their “excellence” in diplomatic relations. Recall that Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, is the first senior US official to travel to Taiwan since the visit of Newt Gingrich, the previous Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the island in 1997. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed at a press conference following Pelosi’s visit that “the US one-China policy really hasn’t altered.” The head of American diplomacy was clear to state, “We do not favor Taiwan’s independence.”

Ambassador of Morocco to China Reiterates Country’s Adherence to One China Policy

Aziz Mekouar, Morocco’s ambassador to China, reaffirmed his country’s devotion to the one-China policy as the cornerstone of relations between the two brotherly nations. His Excellency the Ambassador emphasized that this membership is founded on the Kingdom’s core values, which are respect for national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other UN members. These values include consistency, responsibility, credibility, and dependability. He added, “Morocco renews its positions expressed many times, at different levels, both bilaterally and within international organizations, and continues to support the People’s Republic of China on this issue. The ambassador highlighted that the two countries are committed to strengthening their multi – faceted cooperation through the establishment of an institutionalized strategic partnership in order to intensify trade, promote investment, and open up new avenues for bilateral ties in all areas. The ambassador recalled that the Kingdom of Morocco attaches great importance to these relations.

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 China Today ,the former 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, and 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 in 2019. She has also more than 20 publications among them the United Nations Geneva 2019 report, Peking University 5000-mile reports 2020 and 2021 which were handed to high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Beijing, and her most recent SCI paper, “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Sustainable Development in Electronic Markets,” which received attention from many experts across the world and was posted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on its official website.

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.

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. 

On May 21, a million doses of the pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine manufactured by the Chinese company Walfax were shipped to Morocco from Yunnan Province in southwest China.

In 2019, the vaccine was given marketing approval. It is China’s first 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination and the world’s second. It can be given to children as young as six weeks old to prevent infectious infections caused by the 13 pneumococci serotypes included in the vaccine.

​The Moroccan company “Marocvachs” imported this batch of vaccines, which contains one million doses. To protect millions of Moroccan children from life-threatening infections, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccination was included in the Expanded Program on Immunization. Marocfacs will purchase two million doses per year for the next five years under the distribution deal.

​

​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.

Gabriel Dodo Ndoke, Cameroon’s Minister of Mines, Industry, and Technological Development, and Zheng Zhenghao, General Manager of Sinosteel Cam S.A., signed a convention that enables the company to exploit the Lobe iron ore deposit located in the Southern part of Cameroon. The convention was signed during a ceremony that took place on Friday, May 6^th, at the Congress Hall in Cameroon’s capital city Yaoundé.

Sinosteel Cam S.A., the Cameroonian subsidiary of China’s Sinosteel Corporation Ltd, will inject more than 700 million dollars into the project, official Chinese media have reported. The company seeks to extract 10 million tons of ore per year at 33 percent iron and projects that the subsequent enrichment of that amount of ore will yield four million tons of high-grade iron at more than 60 percent iron. The total amount of reserves of the Lobe iron ore deposit is estimated at 632,8 million tons and the exploitation will span over a period of 50 years.

The project also entails developing an iron ore beneficiation plant, establishing a mineral terminal to sell the iron on the international market, building a 20-kilometers pipeline that will enable the transportation of iron ore to the terminal, and developing an energy production unit for the project, official Chinese media have reported.

Expected benefits for Cameroon’s economy

It is predicted that the Central African country will receive an estimate of 36 million US dollars as revenue from this project every year. The project should also result in the creation of 600 direct jobs and more than 1000 indirect jobs. In addition, it will also enable skills and technology transfer as well as the development of infrastructures in the area of the country in which it will be implemented. Moreover, this project is expected to boost Cameroon’s iron and steel industry.