China to support Africa in its self-driven development and faster modernization

By Benjamin Takpiny

The Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi on Thursday said that China will continue to support Africa in its self-driven development and faster modernization.

 “We have fought shoulder- to- shoulder against imperialism and colonialism, we have supported each other in pursuit of development, and we have always stood for justice in a changing international landscape,” Wang told journalists on the sidelines of the Second Session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC).

He said that China has remained Africa’s biggest trading partner over the past 15 years.

Wang revealed that China always holds that Africa should not be marginalized.

“While China-Africa cooperation thrives, other major countries have again turned their eyes to Africa – China welcomes that,” he said.

 Wang said that China and Africa are brothers treating each other with sincerity and sharing a common future.

“China will continue to stand firmly with its African brothers, supporting Africa in achieving true intellectual and conceptual independence,” he said.

 Wang revealed that China will assist Africa in enhancing its capacity for independent development and support its accelerated modernization process.

“China has always advocated against the marginalization of Africa, with the flourishing development of China-Africa cooperation, other major powers have also turned their attention back to Africa, and China welcomes this,” he said.

“We are also willing to engage in more trilateral and multilateral cooperation, based on respecting the wishes of the African side,” Wang noted.

He added that China will continue to insist on the continent’s freedom from external pressures.

Wang also said that that Beijing will host the China-Africa Summit in autumn, providing a platform for leaders from China and African countries to engage in fruitful discussions on future development, cooperation, and the exchange of governance expertise.