Bimha said President Xi’s 10-point proposal for promoting China-Africa relations showed that “China wants to be a true friend of Africa, and we should see more and more cooperation”.
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The 10 proposed cooperation plans cover the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure, poverty reduction and people-to-people exchanges.
Mr Xi also said China would not interfere in African countries’ internal affairs, a stance that drew strong applause from leaders such as Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, who have faced strong Western criticism of their human rights record.
“China supports the resolution of African issues by Africans in the African way”, He continued.
He said the hard global economic crisis affects both the trade outlook as well as investment flows of the two sides.
Speaking at the opening session, President Zuma said the China-Africa partnership can only yield further positive results for Africa’s development.
The FOCAC Partnership surely appreciates the complementarities that can be harnessed between Africa and China in this regard.
But perhaps one of the biggest challenges African countries face is youth unemployment and leaders are under pressure to come up with development plans which create more jobs.
The Chinese leader made the announcement at a major summit between China and Africa in Johannesburg.
“It gives practical meaning to the belief of President Xi that China’s military capability must be utilised to achieve peace”.
The support package includes $5 billion of interest-free loans and $35 billion in preferential financing, export credit lines and concessional loans, Xi said.
“Buhari identified with the laudable objectives of FOCAC in cultivating, fostering and deepening political, economic, technological, social and other forms of relations between China and Africa”.
Future generations will surely write that it was here at this historic time and place that we ensured a golden age for China and Africa.
He said there was hope for Africa as some countries in the continent remained the fastest growing in the world.
“By boosting solidarity and cooperation, we will be able to bring more tangible benefits for our people”. China is also the largest buyer of Zimbabwean tobacco.
On the sidelines of the summit, Xi also met leaders of Namibia, Nigeria, Egypt, Somalia and Comoros on bilateral ties.
When meeting Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe, Xi said the Chinese government would encourage and support its enterprises to invest and develop businesses in Togo in such areas as appliances, construction materials, textile, food processing and automobile assembly and participate in Togo’s infrastructure construction so as to help build up its own industry.
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Accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, Xi concluded his schedule on Friday evening by attending the art performance at the closing ceremony of the Year of China in South Africa.
