Tianjin (China) - China is not planning to colonise Africa economically and industrially through its investments, Chinese officials said.
Wang Kai , the Divisional Deputy Directo , TEDA Administrative Commission, Tianjin, China, and Mr Wu Xiaxong, the Divisional Chief , National Development and Reform Commission of China made the statement in Tianjin, China, on Saturday.
The officials spoke at the on-going three-week seminar on “The Construction and Management of Development of Industrial Areas’’, organised by Tianjin Technological and Economical Development Area (TEDA) Group of Companies.
The seminar is sponsored by China’s Ministry of Commerce for 27 delegates from English speaking African countries.
They said that China, through on-going and planned investments in Africa, intends to assist the continent in its economic, industrial and urban development and transformation.
They spoke on the dividends that had accrued to China from the education, agriculture, technological , taxation and land ownership system reforms in Africa since 1978.
Wang of TEDA said that China wanted to assist African countries to develop economically and industrially by encouraging Chinese investors to invest in Africa.
He said the investors would achieve put their experiences at the disposal of Africa.
“It is not that we want to colonise Africa economically or technologically as it is being rumoured in some countries.
`The Chinese investors had entered into agreements with some African states to invest in part of their countries that would span some decades.
“ After the expiration of the agreement, the investments in those countries would revert to the host countries.
“It is part of the development and industrialisation process,’’ Wang said.
He said that China had continued to encourage African countries to establish free and export trade zones and new development areas to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to their countries.
“China has assisted Nigeria, Zambia and Namibia to establish free trade zones and as at 2011, Nigeria has attracted three billion dollars from Foreign Direct Investments to the trade zones,’’ he said..
Wu, the Divisional Chief, National Development and Reform Commission of China, said “China has a foreign external reserve of 3.18 trillion by 2011 from 167 billion in 1978 through a holistic implementation of those reforms .
“Also, the total import and export growth of China has increased from 20.6 billion in 1978 to 3.64 trillion in 2011, and at present China is the second world’s largest economy.
“ It would be ideal if ,China with all these assets at its disposal, assists Africa to grow industrially with the Chinese Government and people sharing their reforms experience with the African continent.’’
Wu said China was currently executing various projects in Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania and Sudan and also investing in other African countries based on invitation to the Chinese Government by such countries.
“When these projects are completed, African and Chinese nationals will benefit from them as they would provide large scale employment opportunities for all,’’ he said.
Wu said that the reforms in China, though still on-going, were successful as they were geared toward the promotion of the Chinese people’s welfare through infrastructure construction in transportation, aviation , seaports , power, water, electricity.
He, however, urged African countries embarking on reforms to ensure that such were popular with the people and enjoyed their support.
“The followers would be willing to show commitment and make sacrifices to ensure that such reforms being carried out by their home governments are successful,’’ he said .
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