Belt and Road Initiative Driving China-Africa Cooperation
As more and more African countries have reached agreements with China to jointly promote the Belt and Road Initiative, an increasing number of cooperation projects are steadily advancing and expanding. China-Africa cooperation in the new era. This not only injects new impetus into Africa’s future development, but also expands possibilities for close coordination between the Belt and Road Initiative and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
ETHIOPIA & DJIBOUTI
The Addis Ababa Light Rail, which opened to traffic in the second half of 2015, is the first modern urban light railroad in East Africa. It alleviates traffic congestion, enables residents to travel more efficiently and enriches the city’s function, making the rail a national “calling card” of Ethiopia. The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway is the first electric railway in Africa. It was constructed according to Chinese standards and design, using Chinese funding, equipment and engineering supervision. It has been praised as a “transportation lifeline” connecting Ethiopia and Djibouti. The railway has a total length of 752.7 kilometers, and the designed speed for passenger transport is up to 120 kilometers per hour. With a total investment of about US$4 billion, the railway began operation in October 2016.
NIGERIA
The Abuja-Kaduna Railway spans 186.5 kilometers, with nine stations along the route and a maximum designed speed of 150 kilometers per hour. The railway started operation in July 2016. It is the first modern railway in Africa to be financed by preferential loans from the Export-Import Bank of China and built according to the technical standards of the Chinese railway.
KENYA
The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway has opened to traffic since June 2017 and links Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, to Nairobi, capital of Kenya. With a total length of 480 kilometers, it was the first overseas railway built by China that adopted comprehensive Chinese standards, as well as a demonstration project under the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa.
UGANDA
The Entebbe-Kampala Expressway opened to traffic in June 2018 as the first toll expressway in Uganda, which was designed and constructed according to Chinese standards.
EGYPT
The Egyptian EETC 500 KV Transmission Line project was the first project under a China-Egypt industrial capacity agreement. It is also Egypt’s largest and highest-voltage electricity transmission line project. Construction of the project started in February 2017 and continues today.
SOUTH AFRICA
China has been the biggest trading partner and major source of foreign investment and tourists for South Africa for nine consecutive years, while South Africa is the largest African trading partner of China. China has invested in and cooperated with over 100 South African companies with cumulative direct investments exceeding US$15 billion.
In 2017, China invested nearly US$1.83 billion in South Africa and bilateral trading volume reached US$39 billion. China-funded enterprises have created over 100,000 jobs in South Africa in sectors like mining, steel, cement, automobiles and household appliances. The Johannesburg branch of the Bank of China is the first China-funded financial institution to settle in South Africa.
On May 28, the 2018 China-South Africa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Investment Roadshow was held in Shanghai. As a platform designed to help Chinese enterprises invest in South Africa, it further promoted mutual investment and business cooperation between China and South Africa.
SENEGAL
Senegal was the first West African country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China. Both nations will strengthen communication and cooperation in fields like infrastructure, water conservancy, industrialization, agricultural product processing, tourism, culture and sports.
China has pledged 884.9 billion FCFA for the Plan Senegal Emergent, becoming the biggest funding source for the plan.
RWANDA
China is one of Rwanda’s largest sources of direct foreign investment. Over the past 12 years, China has invested in 61 projects in Rwanda, involving over US$400 million, of which US$352.6 million are direct investments.
From July 22 to 23, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed 15 bilateral agreements during his state visit to Rwanda, including an agreement on visa-free access for diplomatic passports, cooperation agreements under the Belt and Road Initiative and a cooperation agreement on e-commerce. China and Rwanda also agreed to conduct joint geological exploration and carry out a series of infrastructure construction projects.
