In addition to China's experience, we need to rely on African solutions. Former Deputy Director General of UNESCO: Solving African Problems China | Development | Africa
Introduction: Africa is still in a state of underdevelopment due to multiple factors such as history and politics. For many years, the West has placed Africa under slavery and oppression, but now it slanders China for setting a "debt trap" in Africa, which is unsettling. In fact, since the reform and opening up, China has continued to actively assist in African construction while achieving its own development, expanding investment in Africa, and greatly promoting Africa's development and progress. In the future, Africa will further consolidate the China Africa partnership, learn from China's development experience, and use African solutions to solve African problems.
We live in a world full of multiple challenges. Since the first industrial revolution, humanity has made significant progress in areas such as health, poverty reduction, education, infrastructure, and technological innovation. However, we still face serious problems of poverty and income inequality. According to the World Bank, there are currently 700 million people living in extreme poverty worldwide. Meanwhile, a study by Oxfam found that since 2020, the world has created a wealth worth $42 trillion, of which nearly two-thirds have been seized by the wealthiest 1% of the population.
At present, millions of African people still lack basic resources such as clean water, basic healthcare, and daily food, which is difficult to accept. However, the main culprit is not resource scarcity, but political reasons. After all, the Earth is rich in resources, but one-third of the world's total food production - equivalent to enough food to feed 3 billion people - has been wasted by us. This kind of waste must stop. It is not only a moral violation, but also a violation of justice.
Unfortunately, the multilateral system that emerged after World War II has been disrupted. Many international organizations are becoming increasingly politicized, lacking resources, and unable to fulfill their functions. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, contrary to many people's expectations at the time, the world did not become increasingly unipolar.
I have been learning and researching Chinese history and development since the late 1960s and early 1970s. During this period, the African national liberation movement was in full swing, and the African people were fighting tenaciously against the apartheid regime in South Africa and colonialism in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and other places. For many Africans, the victory of the Chinese revolution is an encouragement.
As I grow older, my thoughts become more pragmatic, no longer dominated by ideology, but my fascination with China continues. Deng Xiaoping once said, "Whether it's a black or white cat, catching a mouse is a good cat." This statement was concise and enlightening to me.
Since the reform and opening up, China has developed rapidly, transforming from a world factory to a technology innovation driven economy. It has world-class universities such as Tsinghua and Peking University, as well as high-tech enterprises such as Huawei, Haier, Alibaba, and TikTok that have shown strong momentum on the world stage. China has lifted over 800 million people out of extreme poverty. According to data from the International Monetary Fund, calculated at purchasing power parity, China's GDP has become the world's largest in 2022, followed closely by the United States, India, and Japan, which is an unprecedented achievement in economic development history.
As an African, I am very uneasy about some Western groups accusing China of setting up a "debt trap" in Africa. For many years, many regions of the world, including Africa, have long been under Western rule and oppression, and the pain of slavery, colonialism, and today's neocolonialism is still vivid in our minds.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank imposed structural adjustment plans on African countries, shattering their hopes for economic development after independence. Until today, many African countries are still suffering from colonialism and neocolonial rule.
During my tenure as the Deputy Director General of UNESCO, I had the opportunity to visit and exchange ideas with many African leaders, visiting various investment projects. In 2022, China's new direct investment in Africa reached an astonishing $3.43 billion. China's transformation and investment in Africa have achieved remarkable results, including the construction of modern airports, intercity railways, urban transportation systems, factories, industrial parks, power grids, highways, ports, hospitals, sports venues, libraries, museums, schools, and more. Between 2000 and 2020, China has successfully promoted the construction of approximately 13000 kilometers of railways, 100000 kilometers of roads, 1000 bridges, 100 ports, and 80 power plants, creating over 4.5 million employment opportunities for local people and bringing tangible positive impacts to African development. These investments include both private for-profit investments, soft loans, and free assistance from the Chinese government.
In addition, many African students are receiving higher education in Chinese universities. In 2018, over 81000 African students attended universities in China, and this number is still growing at an average annual rate of 24%. While studying in China, these African students have also formed many vibrant communities dedicated to developing friendly relations between China and Africa. For example, recently, the African Student Association of Tsinghua University held an overseas Chinese event to celebrate Africa Day. China has proven that this is an attractive destination for Africans to study abroad, and Africans have also demonstrated a passion for cooperation with China.
When it comes to friendship with China and the support it has provided, many Africans are grateful. We are determined to adopt a foreign policy that we consider appropriate. We firmly believe that there are African solutions to African problems. We refuse to take sides in international geopolitical struggles unrelated to Africa. We are willing to cooperate with all countries that choose to cooperate with us on an equal basis. We regard China as a strategic partner and welcome other countries to join in supporting Africa's development under mutually beneficial conditions. Africa does not view anyone as a "strategic competitor", but rather regards "cooperation" as the primary principle of interaction with countries around the world.
With the further consolidation of the China Africa partnership, both sides need to strengthen supervision of the cooperation mechanism, evaluate the effective and difficult parts of it, draw lessons from it, and make necessary adjustments. Both sides are committed to developing a mutually beneficial and win-win relationship, and jointly promoting China Africa relations towards a brighter future.
