Li Keqiang's Africa visit set to promote new ties

Want China Times, Xinhua 2014-05-04

Chinese premier Li Keqiang chairs a forum in Chongqing, April 28. (File photo/CNS)

China and Africa will sign cooperation agreements in fields of road, railway, aviation and electric power during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Africa, according to a press release on Sunday.

Li will pay official visits to Ethiopia, Nigeria, Angola and Kenya from May 4 to 11. This is the first time for Li to visit Africa since taking office last year.

The relations between the two sides have entered a "golden period", said Li in an interview with African media before the trip. He said China is the largest developing country and Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries. Both China and Africa face the urgent task of developing economy and realizing modernization.

Since entering the new century, China and Africa have seized the historic opportunities presented by the deepening of globalization, worked together and helped each other achieve win-win outcome, he said, adding that both China and Africa have benefited a lot from cooperation.

China is at the critical stage of comprehensively deepening reform and speeding up the transformation of the economic development model. Africa, on its part, has also started its new path of seeking strength through unity and promoting development for renewal, said the premier.

China-Africa cooperation is thus faced with new opportunities of making great strides forward, he said.

"During my visit, I will work with leaders of the African states and the AU, and Chinese and African business representatives in an earnest, practical and enterprising spirit to review the past experience, identify room for improvement and discuss new areas, channels and formalities of China-Africa comprehensive cooperation so as to upgrade our cooperation," he said.

According to Li, China and Africa will expand exchanges and cooperation in poverty reduction for common development. Over 100 million people in China still live below the poverty line.

Africa is also faced with many difficulties and challenges on the road toward the Millennium Development Goals, the premier said, adding that all sides are committed to developing economy and improving people's livelihood, which makes poverty reduction one of the highlights of China-Africa cooperation.

China is ready to share with Africa its experience on poverty reduction and agricultural development, enhance agricultural cooperation with Africa and help Africa train technical and managerial personnel on agriculture, he said. "We hope poverty reduction will help Africa achieve sustainable development and bring the African people a more dignified life."

Li said China and Africa will strengthen industrial and commercial cooperation and promote Africa's industrialization and manufacturing sector.

Africa has entered the fast track of growth and its modernization process is gaining momentum, he said, noting that China is ready to bring into full play its advantages and take an active part in Africa's infrastructure development so as to promote connectivity on the African continent.

"Through infrastructure building, we will promote industrial cooperation and help Africa to focus on developing labor-intensive manufacturing, which will create jobs and boost consumption," he said.

China will also create new ways of investment and financing cooperation to help Africa address the funding shortfalls, and the two countries will enhance cooperation in human resources and eco-environment so as to sustain the momentum of Africa's long-term development, Li said.

Africa has the biggest potential in human resources. China is ready to train more professionals of multiple types for African countries, and provide more vocational education tailored for African young people, so as to help Africa fully and durably unleash the population dividends.

As one saying goes, the key to people-to-people exchanges lies in heart-to-heart communication, Li said, noting that China will roll out a series of projects on people-to-people exchanges and cooperation to enrich exchanges between the two peoples and promote mutual understanding and friendship.

Green has always been the true color of Africa. China will have closer cooperation with Africa in this field and provide funding to promote Africa's efforts to protect its wild animal resources and address the challenges of climate change, so that a beautiful China and a beautiful Africa will go hand in hand as we assist each other in development, said the premier.

Cheng Hong, who is accompanying her
husband Li Keqiang during his Africa tour,
arrives in Ethiopia on May 4. (Photo/Xinhua)

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"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader. Remember where you heard it... in a strange, esoteric meeting with a guy in a chair pretending to channel. [Kryon being factious... Kryon humor] Then when you hear it, you'll know better, won't you? "Maybe there was something really there," you'll say. "Maybe it was real," you'll say. Perhaps you can skip all the drama of the years to come and consider that now? [Kryon humor again]

These leaders are going to fall over. You'll have a slow developing leadership coming to you all over the earth where there is a new energy of caring about the public. "That's just too much to ask for in politics, Kryon." Watch for it. That's just the beginning of this last phase. So many things are coming. The next one is related to this, for a country in survival with sickness cannot sustain a leadership of high consciousness. There is just too much opportunity for power and greed. But when a continent is healed, everything changes.

The next one: You're going to heal a continent. Watch for it. It begins. Watch for major shift in Africa. We have said this before, even within the meetings I spoke in what you call the United Nations. Africa has never even been a potential player in the economic field, because it has been sick. What happens when you heal a continent? I'm going to tell you. Suddenly, the people on that continent also want what you have - government that works, peace, their own homes, schools, hospitals, and even banks where they can borrow from. They don't have any of those now, not really. Everything with substance is from somewhere else. That means you're going to have a continent that's going to arise that will become a major player on the stage of Earth's finances and political influence - an entire continent with all the resources on it, with even the potential for unification of common purpose, much like what you have now in your EU. I'm giving you information, and when it happens, again, I say you'll remember where you heard it.

Many years ago, the prevailing thought was that nobody should consider China as a viable player on the economic stage. They were backward, filled with a system that would never be westernized, and had no wish to become joined with the rest of the world's economic systems. Look what has happened in only 30 years. Now, look at Africa differently.. ...”