By Aidoghie Paulinus
The Republic of Kenya, hosted the 21st China Lecture Series on October 29, 2024, a forum where participants underscored the mutual benefits of China-Africa Cooperation in advancing sustainable development through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Under the theme: ‘Chinese Modernization and China-Africa High-Quality Cooperation Under the Belt and Road Initiative,’ the event was organized by the Nairobi-based pan-African think-tank, the Africa Policy Institute, in partnership with the China-Africa Institute and the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.
The forum brought together, government officials from China and Africa, diplomats, representatives of the United Nations and its agencies, the African Union, think-tanks, and scholars to deepen understanding of China-Africa cooperation in a multilateral world.
Former Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Erastus Mwencha, pointed out that Africa could draw valuable insights from China’s modernization path, as both face similar development challenges and can benefit from shared solutions.
Also, an official of the China-Africa Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Zhou Yunfan, said modernization is an inalienable right of all countries and also a common task for China and African countries after independence in the pursuit of national development and the well-being of their people.
She added that China and many African countries have been exploring modernization paths suited to their national conditions.