Supporting Africa on the Road of Sustainable Development (New Era China Africa Cooperation) Sustainable Development | Energy | Africa
In recent years, China has fully utilized its advanced experience and technological advantages in clean energy, digital economy and other fields, actively helped Africa strengthen capacity building, accelerated the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and played an important role in promoting economic and social development and improving people's livelihoods in Africa.
Tap local advantages to develop clean energy
Energy shortages have long constrained the economic and social development and industrialization process in Africa. Among them, insufficient power supply is a major bottleneck. According to World Bank data, in 2020, the proportion of people in sub Saharan Africa who lacked electricity reached 51.6%. By 2030, it is estimated that approximately 660 million people worldwide will have no electricity available, with the majority living in sub Saharan Africa.
At the same time, Africa has enormous development potential in the field of renewable energy. The 2022 Africa Energy Outlook report released by the International Energy Agency shows that Africa has 60% of the world's solar energy resources, and renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal, and hydropower are also very abundant. The International Renewable Energy Agency believes that by 2030, Africa can meet nearly 1/4 of its energy needs by using clean renewable energy. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa also believes that renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro can be used to partially meet the rapidly growing electricity demand of the African continent.
The development of renewable energy cannot be separated from technological support. China attaches great importance to strengthening clean energy cooperation with Africa and has become one of the main partners in clean energy development in Africa. In November 2021, the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation adopted the Dakar Action Plan and the Declaration on China Africa Cooperation in Addressing Climate Change. China will jointly promote the concept of green and low-carbon with Africa, vigorously develop solar and wind renewable energy, provide assistance to Africa in implementing green environmental protection and climate change response projects, build low-carbon demonstration zones and climate change adaptation demonstration zones in Africa, and provide practical support in technology, capacity building, and other aspects. So far, both sides have implemented hundreds of clean energy and green development projects within the framework of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, helping Africa accelerate its path towards independent and sustainable development.
Near the town of De'a in North Cape Province, South Africa, rows of huge wind turbines stand tall, with white blades rotating against the wind. This is China's first wind power project in Africa that integrates investment, construction, and operation - the De'a Wind Farm. This project provides a stable supply of clean electricity to the local area of about 760 million kilowatt hours per year, with a power generation equivalent to saving 215800 tons of standard coal and reducing 619900 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
In February this year, the Zambian Copper Belt Energy Company's riverside solar photovoltaic expansion project, undertaken by China Hydropower Construction Group International Engineering Co., Ltd., was connected to the grid for power generation. Zambian President Hichilema stated that the expansion of this photovoltaic project to 34 megawatts and smooth grid connection for power generation is of great significance. "Zambia does not want to continue to suffer from power outages and restrictions, and the project has played an important role in promoting this wish.". A local resident told reporters, "The photovoltaic expansion project will help us increase electricity supply and will not cause pollution to the environment. The surrounding residents are very welcoming."
Professor Costantinos from the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia stated that China actively supports the development of clean energy in Africa through multilateral platforms such as the Forum on China Africa Cooperation and South South cooperation. Through cooperation with China, Africa can not only develop its own rich green energy, but also learn advanced experience in clean energy development.
Strengthening technical cooperation to bridge the digital divide
The relevant report issued by the International Telecommunication Union shows that the Internet penetration rate in Africa is still lower than the global average. In recent years, China has provided experience and technical support for the construction of "Digital Africa" in digital infrastructure and digital technology cooperation, effectively helping African countries bridge the digital divide and catch up with the pace of global digital economy development.
Dilya from Uganda has lived in China for over 10 years. Inspired by China's mobile Internet technology, she set up a health technology startup called "My Doctor" in Kampala, the capital of Ukraine, to provide users with online consultation services and medical care suggestions through cooperation with the local medical practitioners committee. In recent years, more and more African youth have learned e-commerce and Internet development experience in China, returned to their own countries to start businesses, and become a new force to promote the development of the local digital economy.
As of November 2021, China has assisted in the construction of over 50% of network wireless stations and high-speed mobile broadband networks in Africa, laying over 200000 kilometers of fiber optic cables and serving over 900 million African people; China and Africa have jointly established a public "cloud" serving the entire African region in South Africa, as well as the first 5G independent networking commercial network; China has initiated the construction of the China Africa Satellite Remote Sensing Application Cooperation Center and successfully held the first China Africa Beidou Cooperation Forum and the first China Africa Innovation Cooperation Conference.
"Africa and China have achieved remarkable results in jointly building the digital 'the Belt and Road'. A series of achievements demonstrate that China sincerely helps us bridge the digital divide and enable Africa to connect with the international community more quickly. We expect more fruitful results from the digital 'the Belt and Road' cooperation." Meraku, director of the Department of International Relations and Foreign Affairs of the Ethiopian Institute for Strategic Studies, told our reporters.
Pay attention to teaching people how to fish and promote independent development
In November 2022, at the Africa Science and Technology Festival, one of the largest and most influential science and technology exhibitions in Africa, science and technology enterprises from China signed a number of memorandums of cooperation with local enterprises in South Africa to jointly promote the construction of Internet data centers in South Africa and jointly drive Africa's digital transformation and upgrading. Meno Parsons, CEO of South Africa's Mestepal Technology Co., Ltd., who has signed cooperation agreements with Chinese partners, expressed his pleasure in collaborating with Chinese companies to build data center infrastructure, promote technological innovation, and inject new impetus into African economic development.
E-commerce is an important sector with rapid growth in China Africa economic and trade cooperation. Coffee from Ethiopia, chili sauce from Rwanda, black tea from Kenya, chocolate from Ghana, cashews from Tanzania... A large number of African products are entering millions of households in China through cross-border e-commerce platforms. "I hope to replicate China's successful experience to Africa!" Neil from Ethiopia, after obtaining a master's degree in Data Science and Information Technology from Tsinghua University Shenzhen International Graduate School, returned to China and founded a local online payment company. Neil said that China's successful experience in the field of e-commerce is worth learning from and drawing on by African countries.
In recent years, Chinese digital enterprises have actively strengthened cooperation with Africa and promoted the digitalization process in Africa. The Senegal National Data Center, funded and technologically supported by China, has been officially launched; Huawei's "Future Seed" project and Alibaba's "Africa Business Hero Competition" help cultivate more African local Internet talents.
Mobile payment technology, smartphone devices, and e-commerce platform development experience from China are helping the African continent build a new e-commerce ecosystem, and the express delivery and food delivery industries are also rapidly emerging in African countries. Various new formats such as China Africa digital cooperation platforms, online promotion events, and live streaming sales are flourishing, effectively serving Chinese and African enterprises and driving the export of African characteristic products to China. Zambian social economist Kevin Chisanga said, "We increasingly feel that deepening digital partnerships with China can reduce the cost of digital transformation in African countries."
With the continuous all-round, multi-level, and high-quality development of China Africa cooperation, green development and digital economy are increasingly becoming new highlands of China Africa cooperation. China adheres to the principle of "teaching people to fish" in relevant fields, sincerely helping African countries enhance their independent development capabilities, enhance people's well-being, and achieve common development.
