South African media report commends growing win-win China-Africa relationship

CAPE TOWN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)'s news section in a report has praised the win-win relationship that's growing between China and Africa, citing all-time high trade, poverty alleviation cooperation, and economic stimulation in Africa.

Despite all the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, China-Africa trade managed to reach an all-time high in 2021, and China has maintained its position as the largest investor in Africa over the past 10 years, read an opinion article published in July on the website of SABC News.

This comes when the continent is in dire need of direct foreign investment and job creation, it said.

According to data released by the General Administration of Customs of China, the total trade between China and Africa in 2021 reached 254.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 35.3 percent year on year, among which, Africa exported 105.9 billion dollars of goods to China, up 43.7 percent year on year.

The article further said China-Africa cooperation contributes to job creation in the continent, creating 18,562 jobs a year in Africa. This led to the reduction of unemployment, improvement in poverty alleviation efforts and drastic promotion in investment, said the article, adding that it also created "tangible evidence" in Africa's industrialization as well as gross economic development across various sectors.

China has lent support to Africa in terms of railways, roads, ports, dams, industries and digital connectivity, which has scaled down the global digital divide, and the country has close cooperation with Africa in science, education, culture, health, and other fields, it said.

According to the article, the win-win relationship is beneficial to each African country at the bilateral level. While Western countries continue their sanctions against Zimbabwe, the government of China aided Harare to develop its infrastructure in the sectors of telecommunications, energy and agriculture, it said.

"China's foreign policy stance to forge a win-win political and economic relationship with the continent has uprooted many African communities out of abject poverty," it said.

"Without a shadow of a doubt, China-Africa relations are blossoming," the article said.