Here are the 8 major initiatives China is planning to implement in Africa

President Xi made the announcement on Monday, September 3, 2018, at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The initiatives cover areas ranging from the industrial promotion, facility connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity building, health and hygiene, humanities exchange, and peace and security.

Here are the details of the 8 initiatives:

1. Industrial promotion

The government said it will set up a China-Africa economic and trade expo, carry out 50 agricultural assistance programmes, provide emergency humanitarian food aid totalling 1 billion yuan ($147m) to African countries affected by natural disasters, and send 500 senior agricultural experts to the continent.

2. Infrastructure cooperation

Collaboration with the African Union to formulate a China-Africa infrastructure cooperation plan, while simultaneously supporting Chinese companies taking part in Africa's infrastructure development.

3. Trade facilitation

According to Xi, China plans to increase imports, especially non-resource products, from Africa and support countries participating in the China International Import Expo. In addition, the least developed African countries will not be required to pay exhibition stand fees.

4. Green development

Xi said China will also undertake 50 aid projects related to the green development and ecological and environmental protection, with a particular focus on climate change, oceans, desertification prevention and control, and wildlife protection.

5. Capacity building

To help people in Africa improve their skills, China hopes to set up 10 Luban Workshops to provide vocational training for young people there. Further, China said it will train 1,000 high-calibre Africans, provide the region with 50,000 government scholarships, sponsor seminar and workshop opportunities for another 50,000 people, and invite 2,000 African youths to China for exchange visits.

6. Health and hygiene

When it comes to healthcare, Xi said that China plans to upgrade 50 medical and health aid programmes in Africa, including flagship projects such as the headquarters of the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and China-Africa Friendship Hospitals.

7. Humanities exchange

To boost people-to-people exchanges, China is scheduled to set up an institute of African studies and enhance civilisation exchanges with Africa.

8. Peace and security

The East Asian country said it will also set up a China-Africa peace and security fund and continue providing free military aid to the African Union.

“A total of 50 security assistance programmes will be carried out, covering aspects such as UN peacekeeping missions, piracy and terrorism,” Xi said.

Also from Business Insider Sub-Sahara Africa:

Here are the 8 major initiatives China is planning to implement in Africa

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that China will implement eight major initiatives with African countries over the next three years.

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