Nigeria's Abuja-Kaduna Railway, constructed by China Civil and Engineering Company (CCECC), started its trial operation on June 17, 2016. This is the first railway in Africa that has been built based on Chinese technical standards. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

China-Africa relations have reached a new historical starting point. Though problems and challenges exist, cooperation is creating significant opportunities for both sides.

Firstly, Africa has become one of the fastest growing areas in the world. Meanwhile, China's economy will also maintain a strong momentum. Secondly, African countries will continue to adopt economic policies in favor of infrastructure construction, labor intensive manufacturing, agriculture, extraction and livelihood related sectors. China and Africa will enjoy more cooperation opportunities in resource development, information communication and manufacturing. Thirdly, African economic integration will open new space for China-Africa cooperation at a higher level and in broader areas.

China-Africa cooperation has also encountered some problems and obstacles. For instance, the political and security situation in some parts of Africa remains vulnerable, and the profound impact of the European debt crisis on regional economies is unfolding, which way lead to commodity price risks. At the same time, low cooperation level, weak cooperation results and quality, and unregulated operation of individual companies have also dampened the healthy and sustainable development of China-Africa trade and economic cooperation. A benign China-Africa trade and economic cooperation is significant for ensuring economic growth of both China and Africa, promoting peace and security in Africa and safeguarding the interests of developing countries.

Moving forward, China will continue to work with African countries and take concrete measures to properly address problems existing in China–Africa business cooperation, identify new converging points and growth points in China-Africa cooperation, and achieve new leapfrog development of China-Africa relations.

China has provided some economic assistance to African countries for projects related to people's livelihood, human resource training and supply of goods and materials. The above mentioned assistance was made to the best of China's capabilities and represented a rather small share of its GDP, which was well affordable for a developing country. Development assistance is an important way for countries to give mutual support and achieve common development. It includes assistance of developed countries to developing countries and mutual assistance between developing countries. China's aggregate economy jumped to number two in the world from relatively backward conditions, and this achievement is inseparable from the support and help of many countries including African ones. In the wake of the Wenchuan earth quake in 2008, some African countries which do not have much financial resources generously afforded their assistance to China. Therefore, Chinese government will lend a helping hand to Africa within its capacity when it realize its own development.

The author is a journalist with Sudan News Agency