‘Strong Africa’ necessary in China-Africa relations

Africa must use its relationship with China to its benefit to grow its economy and learn from the Far East powerhouse. This was the message at the first annual, ‘China Meets Africa Forum’ held in Ghana in August this year. Organised by the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), the China Development Bank and The Beijing Axis, discussions at the forum centred on how trade and investment had contributed to the development of the Chinese economy and how Africa could learn from and replicate this experience by forming strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships. Speakers looked, in particular, at the energy, mining, infrastructure, construction, agribusiness, telecoms and IT sectors. According to CEIBS, more than 200 delegates attended, representing companies from a number of countries including the host country Ghana, China, Nigeria, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and South Africa. In his keynote speech, John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of the Republic of Ghana, called on Africa to focus on technological development to enable the country to effectively negotiate with its partners, saying a strong Africa was necessary in the China-Africa partnership. Since the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in 2000, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has been further enhanced and revitalised, with bilateral trade at $166.3 billion in 2011, 16 times the level in 2000.