- Wed
- Mar 27, 2013
- Updated: 4:53am
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Xi Jinping vows co-operation with African nations
The president aims to address concerns that China is out to exploit the continent's resources
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Seeking to address concerns that China is exploiting Africa's resources and its market for consumer goods, President Xi Jinping vowed yesterday to build a mutually beneficial relationship that benefits African nations through co-operation.
Hailing Sino-African relations as "all-weather" and "sincere", Xi acknowledged China faced "new circumstances and new problems in Sino-African relations".
"China has and will continue to work alongside African countries to take practical measures to appropriately solve problems in trade and economic co-operation, so that African countries gain more from that co-operation," Xi said in a new, Chinese-built conference hall in the Tanzanian capital.
Xi said China would honour the commitment to African nations made by former president Hu Jintao last year to provide a US$20 billion credit line over three years.
"Once China makes its commitments, it will honour them to the letter," said Xi, who added that China would train 30,000 African professionals, offer 18,000 scholarships to African students and "increase technology transfer and experience".
Yin Gang , a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of West Asian and African Studies, said Xi set a new tone for China's policy towards Africa by addressing concerns that China was exploiting poorer developing nations.
"The new tone is to emphasise that such co-operation should firstly help development in the continent," Yin said, adding that until recently, China's economic co-operation with Africa had focused on seeking new sources of energy and raw materials and exploring new markets for China's consumer goods.
A communiqué issued yesterday said: "China and Tanzania pledged to support each other on issues concerning sovereignty, territorial integrity, stability, development and other core national interests."
Xi and Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete had signed 16 accords since Sunday. "We have no doubt that the people of China will continue to work with the people of Africa," Kikwete said.
Xi's tour includes a visit to Republic of Congo and attending a summit of emerging nations in Durban, South Africa, tomorrow.
Agence France-Presse, Reuters
