China's growing role in Africa offers encouraging opportunities
for the region's economic and social development, Jeffery Sachs,
director of the UN Millennium Project, said at a seminar on
"China-Africa Partnership in the 21th Century" on Tuesday in
Beijing.
China's diplomatic, economic and people-to-people relations with
African nations have expanded dramatically over the last five
years, said Jeffery.
Sachs, who is a special advisor to UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan on the Millennium Development Goal, said Sino-African trade
is growing more rapidly than Chinese trade with the rest of the
world.
According to Chinese figures, Sino-African trade volume has
surged from less than US$10 billion in 2000 to US$39.7 billion last
year.
Sachs said China has made record-breaking progress in the fight
against poverty and is now eager to share its success with other
developing countries.
"Backed by the experience and confidence gained from its own
economic breakthroughs, China is stepping up its efforts to support
Africa's economic development. The benefits to Africa are sure to
be enormous," the UN official said.
Sachs said China is providing significant assistance to
countries across the African continent in trying to relieve
disease, hunger and poverty.
The seminar was co-hosted by the UN systems in China and the
China-Africa Business Council.
Participants in the seminar include representatives of the
Chinese government, academic institutions and the African
diplomatic and business community in Beijing.
(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2006)
