The New Five Measures Offered by the Chinese Government to Africa

(i) Expand Cooperation in Investment and Financing To Support Sustainable Development in Africa. China will provide US$20 billion of credit lines to African countries to assist them in developing infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and small and medium seized enterprises. Agriculture, infrastructural development and

manufacturing are the core pillars of Zimbabwes economic development. Financial assistance in these areas would contribute immensely to the countrys economic turnaround. Zimbabwe has already presented a number of projects to the Chinese side for concessional loan funding. We may wish to consider re-directing some of the requests which are under commercial buyers credit arrangements to concessional loans. Projects that could fall under this category include the New Parliament Building, the Kariba South Project, Hwange 7 and 8 Power Station and the
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Victoria Falls International Airport. There is also all round appreciation for the potential of small and medium enterprises to impact on Zimbabwes growth and development. Zimbabwe could also

benefit greatly from assistance targeted at small and medium enterprise. It should be emphasised that all African countries want a piece of the US$20 billion, but it is only those countries which move with speed and urgency to engage the Chinese who will benefit. It should be noted also that Zimbabwe is lagging behind other African countries in terms of trade and investment and FDIs from China. Actually the country is not included among China top trading partners both for exports and imports. According to the 2010 statistics, the country also does not appear among Chinas FDI recipients of more 2%. There is therefore a need for Zimbabwe to do more to lure investors from China in order to match the potential the country has.

(ii) Increase Assistance to Africa to bring The Benefits of development to The African People. China will build more agricultural technology demonstration centres as necessary to help African countries increase production capacity. China will also implement the African Talents Programme to train 3 000 personnel in various sectors for Africa, offer 18 000 government scholarships, and build cultural and vocational skills training facilities in African countries. China will deepen medical and health cooperation with Africa, send 2 500 medical personnel to Africa and continue to carry out the Brightness Action activities in Africa to provide free treatment for cataract patients. China will help enhance capacity building in meteorological and management. China will continue to carry out well-drilling and water supply projects in Africa to provide safe drinking water for the African people. Zimbabwe has already benefited from an agricultural technology demonstration centre. In view of that, the country should welcome the training of personnel for the centre to work alongside their Chinese counterparts and to spread the knowledge gained throughout the country. Zimbabwe received 35 scholarships for the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 academic years. This is an area where there is need to continue to engage
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the Chinese authorities to request for more scholarships in order to assist the disadvantaged.

The Chinese have proposed to establish a China cultural centre in Zimbabwe. In view of that, Zimbabwe could also take advantage of that proposal to request the Chinese to support the construction of Zimbabwes own national centre for the performing arts. With regards to borehole drilling, the country should continue to push the Chinese Embassy in Harare for the implementation of the drilling of boreholes which is still pending.

(iii) Support the African Integration Process and Help Africa Enhance Capacity For Overall Development. China will establish a partnership with Africa on transnational and trans-regional infrastructural development, support related project planning and feasibility studies and encourage Chinese companies and financial institutions to take part in transnational and transregional infrastructural development in Africa. China will help African countries upgrade customs and commodity inspection facilities to promote intra-regional trade facilitation.

The Chinese have also made it clear that in the next three years they will pay special attention to infrastructural developments in sub regions, notably road networks, water, electricity and telecommunications and pushing forward bilateral cooperation in a market driven way. We are of the view that the country together with other countries in the SADC, should push for the implementation of regional projects in the transport and energy sectors.

(iv) Enhance People-to-People Friendship to Lay a Solid Foundation of Public Support For Enhancing ChinaAfrica. China proposes to carry out China-Africa People-toPeople Friendship Action to support and promote exchanges and organizations, women and youth of the two sides. China proposes to set up a ChinaAfrica Press Exchange Centre in China to encourage exchanges and visits between Chinese and African media, and China supports exchange of correspondents by media and organizations of the two sides. China will continue to implement the China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Plan to sponsor 100 programmes for research exchange and
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cooperation by academic institutions and scholars of the two sides. On this measure, we are of the view that the public media in Zimbabwe should partner with Chinese counterpart organisations in the exchange of correspondents between the two countries.

(v) Promote Peace and Stability in Africa and Create a Secure Environment for Africas Development China will launch the Initiative on China-Africa Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Security, deepen cooperation with the AU and African countries in peace and security in Africa, provide financial support for the AU peace keeping missions in Africa and the development of the African Stand by Force, and train more officials in peace and security affairs and peace-keepers for the AU.