African envoys expect deeper ties with China

Children wait to board a train of the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Nairobi, Kenya, in October. (WANG GUANSEN/XINHUA)

African diplomats to Kenya have expressed strong optimism for the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, viewing it as an opportunity to further deepen ties and chart new paths of cooperation toward building a China-Africa community with a shared future.

The diplomats, having toured key Belt and Road Initiative projects in Kenya, including the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, lauded the initiative for transforming the continent's infrastructure network and consequently boosting economic growth.

Anouar Ben Youssef, Tunisia's ambassador to Kenya, said the FOCAC summit, scheduled for Sept 4-6 in Beijing, will provide a chance to reaffirm China's engagement with Africa across various sectors beyond infrastructure.

"The summit will also be an opportunity to exchange new views and opportunities for stronger cooperation between China and Africa," he said.

Youssef emphasized China's readiness to support Africa and urged countries across the continent to align their needs with internal development plans.

Many BRI projects in Kenya reflect China's interest and commitment to help African countries develop in strategic fields such as communications and transport, he said.

Despite the West's unfounded accusations that China is burdening Africa with debt, the evidence of significant infrastructure development across the continent demonstrates China's role as a key partner.

This is in addition to the interest shown by African countries in maintaining and furthering their relationship with China.

Sanyu Manday, counselor at the Uganda High Commission in Kenya, said she expects African countries to propose development projects at the FOCAC summit and hopes China can help explore ways to assist in their implementation.

"For Uganda, we are looking at constructing a Standard Gauge Railway to connect with the Kenyan one to further ease transportation and improve trade," she said.

Regional approach

Manday said she believes that African countries should seek financing and development for BRI projects as a region rather than individually.

This approach, currently being considered by the East African Community, could secure better investment rates and improve economies of scale.

Projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway could help in regional integration, improve transportation, and foster collective growth among regional countries, she said.

Manday also thanked China for its practical engagement with African countries through models such as public-private partnerships, as was the case with the Nairobi Expressway project.

At a time when Africa is facing high debt challenges and the pressing need for infrastructure projects to boost socio-economic development, Manday said the public-private partnership model is the way to go.

"We appreciate that Africa has a partner who understands us, can move with us, and help us get out of our transportation constraints," she said.

Engagement strategy

Damptey Bediako Asare, Ghana's high commissioner to Kenya, said each African country should go to the FOCAC summit with an understanding of their development needs and a strategy on how they want to engage China.

He said it should be clear to them whether they want to engage China as a continent or individually and whether the African Union should negotiate on behalf of the continent.

"To benefit fully from the BRI, African countries must prepare adequately, understand what they need, understand their development needs, and be able to negotiate effectively," Asare said.

Andrew Sesinyi, Botswana's high commissioner to Kenya, said not only is China a good friend of Africa, but the level of bilateral cooperation is also on the rise.

"The relationship between China and Africa is not a scenario of a relationship between the wolf and the lamb. It's a true cooperation based on equity and mutual benefits," he said.

The BRI projects visited by diplomats in Kenya reflect Africa's efforts to attract true partners and investors, he said.

"It's a global village; nobody is going to make it on their own. Whether the developed world or the developing world, we need cooperation," Sesinyi said.

Zhou Pingjian, Chinese ambassador to Kenya, said through the joint efforts by China and Africa, this year's FOCAC summit will be a great success.

"The summit will be an event to celebrate China-Africa friendship, explore cooperation, and chart the course for the future under the theme of joining hands to advance modernization and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future," he said.