Understanding China’s modernisation path is key to unlocking Africa’s development ambitions

_______________

OPINION

By Moshi Israel

A few days ago, I joined 49 African scholars, researchers, journalists, government officials and other experts in the Agricultural field in the beautiful Shaanxi province. Shaanxi is located in Northwest China and its capital is Xi’an – an ancient Chinese capital for 13 dynasties, including the Zhou, Han, Qin and Tang.

The famous Yellow River flows on the province’s eastern border, adding colour to an already vibrant province. Historically, Shaanxi plays an important role in China. Considered the cradle of Chinese civilisation, the province is home to the Terracotta Army, built for the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China.

Most importantly for the modern context, Shaanxi is the Eastern starting point of the ancient Silk Road. It hosts Xi’an, a city that is both a historical and cultural centre, Baoji, an industrial city and Yan’an, a city considered the revolutionary base of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) in the 1930s-40s (Also considered the cradle of the communist revolution). Shaanxi’s economy is diverse with key industries in Aerospace, defence, electronics, machinery and Agriculture.

The province possesses in-demand natural resources such as oil, natural gas and coal. Moreover, several leaders, including the current Secretary General of the CPC, Xi Jinping, trace their roots in Shaanxi. President Xi’s father was born in the province, and the president himself worked in a rural village in Yanchuan County, Shaanxi.

Our delegation for several days called Xi’an city and Yangling district home. The experiences were eye-opening, to say the least. Xi’an is a major centre for research, especially in aerospace and IT. The city is also the gateway of the ancient Silk Road and is extremely essential for the Belt and Road’s (BRI) land-based Silk Road Economic Belt.

At present, the city is undergoing redevelopment into a modern logistics and trade hub, linking China to Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Many China-Europe freight trains leave the city for Warsaw, Moscow and Duisburg. For African scholars, Xi’an is an ideal starting point for understanding China’s modernisation and exploring how our countries can draw inspiration from its path.

The first stop during this unforgettable and educational trip to China happened at Yangling in the Agricultural High-Tech Demonstration Zone, commonly referred to as ‘China’s Silicon Valley of Agriculture.” It is located in the Weihe plain, an area with deep agricultural roots. Established in 1997 as China’s first national-level agricultural high-tech zone, the district is a perfect embodiment of China’s resilience and innovation.

Touring this district left every single participant from Africa in awe of China’s ingenuity. It demonstrated the importance of state planning and whole-process democracy that seeks to make the life of everyone better. Africa can definitely emulate the example of China and apply it to its own context in order to experience the ‘miracles’ of China’s impressive pace of modernisation.

The Yangling Agricultural Demonstration Zone has four core functions that have ensured its success and that drive development in the region. Through increased collaboration, Uganda can also tap into this well of opportunities and revolutionise its Agricultural Sector. The functions include;

1. Modern Agricultural Research and Development: This involves the development of drought-resistant crops, smart farming, soil improvement and seed technology. There is a special focus on dryland farming techniques vital to arid and semi-arid regions.
2. Technology Transfer; Here, farmers and agribusinesses are connected to research institutions, and it supports the scaling of new farming tools, biotech and digital agricultural models.

• Education and Talent Development; Yangling is home to the Northwest A&F University, one of the country’s top agri-science institutions. It trains agricultural scientists, technicians and policy makers. Finally,

1. International Cooperation; the zone acts as a platform for South-South cooperation in agriculture and rural development. It also hosts the annual Yangling Agricultural Tech Fair that attracts participants from across the world, including BRICS, Africa and Central Asia.

These four functions of the demonstration zone clearly map out a road for collaboration. It is imperative that the Ugandan government and even the private sector utilise these opportunities in order to enhance Uganda’s most profitable sector, which contributes significantly to the national GDP and provides livelihoods for a large part of our population.

President Museveni has always reiterated the significance of the Agricultural sector to our economy. On the other hand, China has the means to boost this agricultural sector. Whereas there is cooperation in this area already, the public needs more information and awareness of the huge potential that lies in Uganda-China Agricultural cooperation.

Uganda’s cooperation with China in the agricultural sector will lead to food security for Uganda by adapting new technologies that enhance crop survival, rural development since most rural areas in Uganda rely on Agriculture for both income and consumption, and Capacity building for many Ugandan farmers, policy makers and technicians. The good news is that Uganda has already had cooperation with Yangling through training programs on climate-smart farming and seminars on post-harvest handling and value chain development.

About 70% of Ugandans are involved in Agriculture, but most of them do subsistence farming, meaning they consume most of what they produce. However, with advanced technology and modernised farming methods, many Ugandans will not have to use their muscles to farm and can easily produce better quality agricultural products that are competitive in the global and regional markets. Continued collaboration with China is key to unlocking this reality and driving the country towards achieving its National Development goals.   

Scholars, researchers and policy influencers/makers need to champion the Uganda-China collaboration so that this information resonates with the majority of Ugandans. Information is key to creating an informed populace. An informed populace is vital to national progress. Yangling has a lot to offer, and it is impossible to exhaust in a single write-up.

One thing is clear: there is a close link between China’s modernisation and Africa’s development. Uganda in particular, should try to learn from China what works for us and apply it to our own realities. National development is a complex process that depends on good governance centred on the people, meticulous planning and investing in the things we are good at.

The writer is a Senior Research Fellow at Development Watch Centre