The Two partners prepare to reap the fruits of increasing cooperation

China's foreign Minister Wang Yi has just concluded a four-nation trip to sub-Sahara Africa, a trip that followed a ritual set in place by his predecessors in the job over the past 21 years: visiting the continent at the start of every year. Being faithful to that long tradition in itself speaks volumes about China's long-time commitment to consolidating the Sino-African friendship.

Wang's six-day trip took him to Ethiopia, Djibouti, Ghana and Senegal, where he exchanged views on issues of bilateral and regional significance. How to expand bilateral cooperation in defense and security with these countries was also high on his agenda, and his mediation in the South Sudan crisis drew wide attention.

Wang separately met representatives of South Sudan's warring sides in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. As a friend of the world's newest nation, China is willing to play a constructive role in pushing for peace talks between its warring parties, Wang said. China's efforts to broker a ceasefire in South Sudan show the country, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is dedicated to safeguarding global and regional peace and stability.

Wang also impressed many by flying with Ethiopian Airlines for his visit. He is believed to be the first minister of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to do so, and it is yet more evidence of the fraternal bond between China and Africa.

Wang's fruitful visits show that China's new leadership, which took office in March, is recalibrating China-African ties to give them even more prominence in its dealings with the world. Africa was a destination in President Xi Jinping's maiden international trip in March, during which he delivered an important policy speech on China-African relations. China and Africa were "a community of shared destinies", and they would forever be reliable friends and sincere partners, he said.

Xi's remarks vividly describe all of China's dealings with Africa. China's engagement with the continent came as early as the 1960s, when the first African states broke free of colonialism. Since then, as Xi has pointed out, similar historical experiences, common development tasks and shared strategic interests have bound the two sides together.

China, a developing country itself, has been providing development aid in large amounts to African countries. In contrast to assistance from Western countries, China never attaches political strings to its aid to Africa. Today, numerous China-sponsored projects, including roads, railways, water supply and clean-energy facilities, schools, hospitals and even office buildings have been erected in Africa, each one a testimony to the China-Africa friendship.

The launch of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000 has put China-Africa relations on a fast track of all-round development and ushered in a new era for the two to explore a new type of strategic partnership.

Compared with the donor-recipient pattern of cooperation between them before, the two sides are looking for sustainable development in their dealings, based on maturity, reciprocity and a focus on building capacity.

Accumulated Chinese direct investment in Africa now amounts to $21 billion, with 75 percent going to such sectors as finance, processing and manufacturing, trade-related services, agriculture and transport. More than 2,000 Chinese enterprises have invested in 50 African countries, the great majority of their employees being locals.

Meanwhile, China has initiated tailor-made programs to train more than 40,000 African personnel in various fields. On March 28, Xi announced in Durban that China would help train 30,000 talented people for Africa in the next three years and provide 18,000 scholarships for African students to study in China.

China's contribution to African development has set a good example in South-South cooperation and won it many friends from the continent as well as praise in the rest of the world.

Last year, the African continent maintained relatively strong economic growth despite economic gloom in Europe and the United States and unrest in North Africa. Analysts believe most African countries will face severe challenges in the years to come in translating economic growth into real benefits to the people as poor infrastructure, insufficient education and lack of skills throw up problems.

As Wang Yi pointed out during his trip, the launch of a new round of comprehensive reform in China will bring about opportunities and impetus for China-Africa cooperation, which in turn will help Africa rise to the challenges it faces.

With Africa becoming one of the fastest growing regions and China continuing to enjoy good growth, China-Africa relations are at a new historic starting point. There is no doubt that the two, as a community of shared destinies, will continue to reap more fruit as they work together.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. Contact the writer at wanghui@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 01/17/2014 page18)