The platform seeks to draw as many Chinese tourists and investors to Africa as possible (Photo: Kimeng Hilton)

Zhou Hua International Business Consulting Limited, ZHIB, a Chinese-incorporated company has created a platform to promote the African market to Chinese business people. ZHIB’s founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Hermann Mefire Louis Claude, on August 9 said the platform, which was created last May, will organize business and cultural events in China to promote Africa’s investment potentials and culture with the aim of attracting more Chinese people to the continent and thereby strengthen exchanges between the two peoples.

Platform partners

ZHIB is working with African embassies in the Chinese capital, Beijing to use the platform in promoting the Chinese-driven Belt and Road Initiative in boosting cooperation and development. Chineseresidents out of Beijing will also be assisted with information on how to apply for visas to different African nations. “Our objective is to promote leisure and business travel to Africa to assure Chinese people that the continent is secure, contrary to what some media reports suggest,” Hermann Mefire explained.

Cameroon-based Chinese oil painter

After Unusual Impressions, Huang Jianbing is looking forward to a second book on his paintings in Cameroon (Photo: Kimeng Hilton)

So far, Hermann Mefire has been working with a Chinese oil painter, Huang Jianbing, who is based in Cameroon. Huang held a special exhibition in Beijing on May 19 on the occasion of Cameroon’s national day reception. He has published "Unusual Impression," an 80-page, glossy hard cover book in Chinese and English on his works in Cameroon and is due to hold his first exhibition in the country in December.

The exhibition is scheduled to coincide with the publication of Huang’s second book on his paintings in Cameroon. Meanwhile, Hermann Mefire and Huang Jianbing are travelling to Cameroon as from August 24 to enable the Chinese painter discover more of the country’s culture and promote Cameroon-bound tourism by Chinese people, especially in the Northwest and West provinces.

The platform is working closely with African embassies in Beijing to promote investments on the continent (Photo: Kimeng Hilton)

Precast construction method

Since the creation of the platform, a number of Chinese firms have shown interest in doing business with Africa. For example, Fiac Finland, a joint Chinese-Finnish company with operations in China, wants to introduce the precast method of construction in Africa, especially in the real estate sector.

“During my trip to Cameroon next week, I will talk about Fiac to government ministers. Fiac is ready to introduce and transfer its technology to local partners and also assist them to secure funding for their projects. I think precast construction deserves serious consideration by Africans because it is 30 per cent cheaper than the traditional method,” Hermann noted.

Wood processing

ZHIB’s chief executive officer and a Chinese entrepreneur from Tianjin municipality are due in the Republic of Congo Brazzaville next month to explore the possibility of setting up a wood processing plant. ZHIB’s business promotion platform has also extended its activities to education. It has reached understanding with Beijing Union University to offer business and financial management training to African students at the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree levels.

“Outstanding students will receive full scholarships while others will have their tuition reduced by 30 per cent. A similar deal has been struck with Liaoning University of Science and Technology for the training of engineers,” Hermann Mefire Louis Claude said.

Shenyang culture industry fair

At the planning meeting in June, details of the Seventh Culture Industry Fair China Northeast 2017 were worked out. (Photo: Chinanews)

Meanwhile, Zhou Hua International Business Consulting Limited will participate in the Seventh Culture Industry Fair China Northeast 2017 from August 24-28. It is organized by the Shenyang municipal government, Liaoning province. “This will be a great opportunity to exhibit African culture and attract Chinese people to the continent. Western media reports about Africa are not often positive, thereby scaring those with little knowledge of the real Africa from visiting for tourism or business reasons. We hope to change this trend by organizing more exchanges between Africans and Chinese,” Mefire noted.

Chinese tourists might be interested in witnessing a beautiful traditional wedding in Cameroon's North West region (Photo: Cameroon tourism archives)

Kimeng Hilton Ndukong is Sub-Editor for World News with Cameroon Tribune bilingual daily newspaper in Cameroon. He is currently on media attachment with People’s Daily Online in English.