China urges more project coordination with African countries

Chinese Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Zhang Ming says words should be followed by action. Photo by Lucie Morangi

A high-level Chinese official is urging international partners to align their project plans with development strategies of African governments.

Zhang Ming, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs of China, said this will ensure Africa reaps maximum benefits while avoiding waste and duplication.

"Impressive proposals are made during international forums, but very little is achieved in the implementation stage. Commitments should be made in line with Africa's development strategy to buoy African confidence in the projects. Otherwise, if the proposals are one-sided, the implementation may fail to address the key needs and thus be unbeneficial," said Zhang at the end of the Tokyo International Conference of Africa's Development (TICAD).

He also said that Africans, on the other side, should launch evaluation mechanisms to ensure they actively participate in the development. Emphasis should not be on commitment but on results.

The three-day event in Nairobi saw the Japanese government pledge $30 billion to develop infrastructure, health-care systems and other projects to drive the continent’s economic growth.

Zhang also welcomed more development partners to Africa. He said China continues to uphold an open and inclusive attitude in China-Africa co-operation. "We also hold an open attitude to the third-party co-operation. But we need to follow the principle, which is gaining Africa’s consent and participation. Without the consent and participation, such cooperation will not be blessed by the African people. In fact, during the Chinese cooperation with Africa, there is a great batch of third-party cooperation projects."

The sixth TICAD was held for the first time in Africa.