by Xinhua Writers Ding Xiguo, Liu Ziling and Li Laifang
By June 2021, the Sino-Egyptian economic and trade cooperation zone TEDA Suez had attracted 117 companies in the manufacture of new building materials, petroleum equipment, tensioning equipment and machinery, with investments s amounting to over US $ 1.2 billion. The area, a model for China’s overseas economic zones along the Belt and Road, includes a departure area of 1.34 km² and an extension area of 6 km² which is still under construction. .
“Over the next five years, we will transform the area into a modern and green industrial city with perfect infrastructure, complete support service systems, a complete industrial chain and sustainable development,” Wei said. Jianqing, executive general manager of China-Africa TEDA Investment Co., Ltd., the developer of the China-funded zone, at the second China-Africa economic and trade exhibition which closed on Wednesday in the Chinese province of Hunan (center).
Based on the existing businesses, the zone plans to expand the industrial chain to include new industries, such as manufacturing solar and wind equipment for green development, said Wei, who spoke with several companies in the area. solar energy at the fair.
The China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo as well as the construction and modernization of economic and trade cooperation zones in Africa are part of the Beijing Summit 2018 Industrial Promotion Initiative of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The initiative was one of eight major initiatives proposed by China to build an even closer China-Africa community with a common future in the new era.
TRANSFORMATION AND UPGRADING
Statistics showed that 25 Chinese economic and trade cooperation zones have been established in 16 African countries so far. By 2020, the cooperation zones, registered with the Ministry of Commerce, had attracted 623 companies, with a total investment of 7.35 billion US dollars and creating more than 46,000 jobs.
“China-Africa economic and trade cooperation is at a critical period of transformation, modernization and improvement of quality and efficiency,” Wang Bingnan, Chinese vice minister of commerce, said at the ceremony. opening of the exhibition.
Another of China’s overseas economic and trade zones, the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos, Nigeria, was built as a modern satellite city integrating production, living, leisure and entertainment. .
After 15 years of development, the area currently has 161 registered companies, operating in sectors such as oil and gas storage, furniture manufacturing, machine building services, industrial real estate and automotive assembly. The cumulative business investment in the park has exceeded US $ 337 million.
Exploiting business opportunities in emerging industries and business forms, the zone aims to attract more companies in the logistics, e-commerce and warehousing sectors overseas, said Lai Siqing, expatriate executive of the China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund) and Director of Nigeria. Lekki Free Trade Zone, while moderating a discussion on sustainable investing in Africa during the exhibition.
He added that the area is in contact with major Chinese logistics and e-commerce companies and will build an exhibition center to improve services to new forms of business.
Targeting a high-quality industrial park, the Sino-Ugandan industrial park has set strict standards for the selection of companies, rejecting companies engaged in industries that are not environmentally friendly, said Zhang Zhigang, president of the park. industrial.
NEW DYNAMICS, HIGH QUALITY
China had been Africa’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years. Two-way trade has seen robust growth this year, with trade volume increasing 40.5 percent year-on-year to $ 139.1 billion in the first seven months, a year-on-year record, according to the Chinese ministry. Trade.
Electronic commerce is a rapidly developing sector for China-Africa cooperation.
The First African Commodity Live E-Commerce Festival was held at the China-Africa E-Commerce Live Broadcast Incubator of Hunan Gaoqiao Great Market, a sub-venue of the Second Economic and Trade Expo China-Africa, promoting specialty products such as food, crafts, coffee, wine and household products.
Since the incubation center was established last year, some 4,200 live broadcasts have been staged, selling products worth 550 million yuan.
Meanwhile, China-Africa cooperation in infrastructure and investment is stabilizing and accelerating at all levels, and cooperation in digital economy, smart cities, clean energy, 5G and others. new business is flourishing.
Cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry between China and Africa has developed rapidly over the past decade. COVID-19 has accelerated bilateral cooperation in this sector.
Sansure Biotech Inc., based in Changsha, the provincial capital of Hunan, has supplied 46 African countries with nearly 5 million COVID-19 reagents and instruments, Pierre Zhu, vice president of Sansure, told Xinhua.
Since the spread of COVID-19 in African countries, the BGI group has participated in prevention and control in Africa and promoted effective regional cooperation in public health, building 10 COVID-19 testing laboratories in six countries Africans, according to Terence Xiong, vice president of global development of the BGI group based in Guangdong province (southern China), during a seminar on medicine and health at the second China-Africa economic and trade exhibition .
“We also hope to use genetic testing technology to promote cooperation in scientific research, such as pathogen research and biodiversity conservation,” Xiong added.
Cooperation in infrastructure is the traditional advantage of China-Africa economic cooperation and has been one of the strengths of high-quality construction of the Belt and Road between China and Africa.
During the exhibition, 17 cooperation contracts in transport, energy, water conservation, industry and agriculture were signed to help Africa boost green development and connectivity of facilities and foster an endogenous drive for development. The transactions had a total value of US $ 6 billion.
In Africa, a key region in the international development of machinery giant SANY Group, the company will focus on large engineering projects and infrastructure construction to provide cost-effective products and more efficient and perfect services, Liang said. Wengen, chairman of the Chinese group SANY. The Changsha-based company first exported its products to Africa in 2002 and has long been a leader among Chinese machinery exporters to the continent.
“The company will also actively share its experience in the development of industrialization with African enterprises, especially SANY’s experience in exploring intelligent manufacturing, to bring more wisdom to the development of industrialization and the industrial modernization of Africa, ”Liang added.
The restructuring of the global industrial chain brought about by the epidemic will provide great opportunities for Africa, and its position in the global industrial chain will be effectively strengthened, according to Song Lei, chairman of CADFund.
Africa’s natural resources and other benefits are further highlighted, and its great potential for urbanization and industrial development will be further enhanced, he said at a forum on the industrial chain cooperation during the exhibition.
“The digital transformation of the Chinese economy has provided valuable assistance to agriculture, transportation, logistics, manufacturing and other key industries in the development of the industrial chain, created a development opportunity fast for Sino-African digital economy cooperation and opened up new ideas for China. African industrial chain cooperation, ”Song said.