By Aidoghie Paulinus
The upcoming 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is expected to bear fruitful results to further deepen Sino-African relations, according to observers in Africa.
A Senior Director of Corporate Affairs at Durban University of Technology in Durban, South Africa, Alan Khan, said the summit, to be held from September 4th to 6th in Beijing, is expected to strengthen the strategic partnership between Africa and China.
With the African Development Bank estimating that Africa’s need for infrastructure funding is between $130 billion and $170 billion annually, Khan said the FOCAC summit will present an opportunity to address such a challenge.
“China is currently the biggest trading partner with the African continent, therefore, this partnership is highly important for all the involved parties, since these economies are interdependent,” Khan said.
Further reflecting on the forthcoming FOCAC, Khan stated: “The summit presents an opportunity to deepen cooperation in areas such as education, infrastructure development, healthcare and technology. We anticipate concrete commitments and action plans that will drive sustainable development and mutual growth.”
He further said as African countries intensify efforts to boost intra-Africa trade, quality infrastructure such as roads and railways is needed to support the free movement of goods and support trade on the continent.
“Therefore, it is likely that the FOCAC summit will prioritize infrastructure development to enhance connectivity between African countries, as well as connectivity between China and Africa as a whole.
“This connectivity is the engine that drives economic growth and feeds into the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which has drawn the participation of 44 sub-Saharan African countries,” Khan also said.
Also speaking, a prominent advocate of smart agriculture in Zambia, Oliver Bulaya, said that under FOCAC, increased Chinese investment and development initiatives have had a significant impact on local communities in the nation over the past two decades.