Think tanks forum calls for closer China-Africa cooperation

HANGZHOU, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Attendees advocated closer cooperation between China and Africa at a forum for China-Africa think tanks in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province.

The 10th China-Africa Think Tank Forum was held both online and offline from Wednesday to Thursday. It was attended by more than 200 Chinese and African scholars and journalists.

Participants called for cooperation in areas such as health, trade and investment, climate change, and digital economy to enhance China-Africa cooperation and boost economic recovery and growth in the post-pandemic world.

Ever since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000, trade between China and Africa and China's direct investment in Africa have increased 20 and 100 times, respectively, according to Xu Bu, president of the China Institute of International Studies.

Anil Sooklal, deputy director-general for Asia and Middle East at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, said that China has never lost its confidence in Africa even when Africa was called "the disappearing continent."

Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Culture and Communication of Senegal, said that China and Africa have similar development goals and visions, and Africa has seen China's sincerity and efficiency in areas such as trade and investment and cultural communication.

The China-Africa Think Tank Forum, an important forum under the FOCAC framework, was initiated by the Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University in 2011.