The Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced his country’s 60 billion U.S. Dollars assistance and loan to African countries.
The 2015 two-day Forum on China- Africa Cooperation ( FOCAC) that held in the South African town of Johannesburg on December 4 and 5, 2015 has come and gone and African countries are glad that the Chinese government will henceforth play "a constructive role in promoting political settlement of Africa's hot-spot issues." Media reports say Chinese President Xi Jinping who was conspicuous in the summit announced the Chinese role but did not elaborate.
Another good dividend of the summit for Africa is Xi Jinping’s announcement of a 60 billion U.S. Dollars of assistance and loans for African States. He reportedly said on Friday, December 4, 2015 that it would include 5 billion US Dollars in zero interest loans and 35 billion US Dollars in preferential facility and export credit and concessionary loans. The loan, will come to fulfill what President Xi Jinping described as the “unstoppable” momentum of rapid growth in Africa.
Mr Xi also announced drought aid for the African continent when he is quoted as saying that, "China is greatly concerned about the poor harvest caused by El Nino in many African countries and will provide 156 million U.S. Dollars worth of emergency food aid to the affected countries.”
President Xi Jinping also proposed that China-Africa ties be upgraded to "a comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership" and reportedly said African countries should be allowed to address regional affairs in an independent way.
Closing the two-day summit, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa thanked Mr Xi for taking China's relationship with Africa "to its highest level ever". He reportedly said that co-operation with China was based on sincerity, mutual trust, equality, win-win co-operation and mutual benefit. "Africa and China are together a fraternal community with a shared and prosperous future," he is quoted as having said and added that, "China and Africa want to prosper together." The 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is the second since the first one was launched in Beijing in 2000.
