New conference seeks to deepen China-Africa ties

An international conference drawing experts and government officials from China, Africa, and the African diaspora opens on Tuesday.

The two-day virtual conference is co-hosted virtually by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Kenya and the China-Africa Centre under Africa Policy Institute (API).

Delegates at the conference will discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on China-Africa cooperation in manufacturing, explore measures for promoting industrialization in Africa while fighting COVID-19, and evaluate prospects for progress in the post-COVID era.

The meeting will feature keynote speeches by government dignitaries, policy-makers, and presentations by experts and practitioners in areas related to China-Africa cooperation, according to Prof. Peter Kagwanja President/Chief Executive- Africa Policy Institute, the co-host.

The deliberations will revolve around China-Africa cooperation in development and manufacturing in Africa and the impact of the development of infrastructure on industrialization within the context of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa.

Experts will assess efforts to promote Africa-China cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and the opportunities available and measures needed to promote mutual ties after the pandemic.

China, the world's second-largest economy, is currently Africa's largest trading partner and a key promoter of the continent's industrialization agenda.

Since the FOCAC Beijing Summit in 2006, China has been a major player in infrastructure and development profile of Africa.

The Asian country has established six overseas economic and trade cooperation zones in five African countries, that is, in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zambia, Mauritius, and Egypt. 

There are nearly 100 China-African joint industrial parks under construction or in operation. By the end of 2017, China's investment stock in Africa had exceeded $100 billion, with more than 3,500 Chinese companies operating on the continent, according to the Africa Policy Institute.

China is Uganda's second-largest trade partner with volumes above $850m in 2017, according to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) figures. 

China is also Uganda's largest source of foreign investment. By the end of 2016, the value of investments by Chinese firms in Uganda was at $4.2b (about sh15 trillion). 

There are about 200 Chinese firms in Uganda dealing in such fields as construction, communication, hospitality and trade.