Chinese President Xi Jinping will Friday address a summit of 40 African leaders in Johannesburg, with a host of major deals set to underline China\u2019s commitment to the continent despite a sharp fall in investment.<\/p>\n
China\u2019s economic growth has recently taken a dip, triggering a global commodities slump and forcing Beijing to slash investment in Africa by more than 40 percent in the first six months of this year.<\/p>\n
At the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Xi will \u201cannounce a series of new measures\u2026 to support Africa\u2019s development,\u201d said Foreign Minister Wang Yi.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will make clear China\u2019s strong determination and sincere intention to stay committed.\u201d<\/p>\n
South Africa\u2019s Foreign Minister Nhlanhla Nene, whose country secured $6.5 billion worth of deals with China on the eve of the gathering, said that the Asian giant\u2019s current outlook was an opportunity for Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs China\u2019s economy picks up, our economies, in working with China, will also have the advantage of being in an environment of rebuilding and re-balancing,\u201d he told AFP.<\/p>\n
The two-day FOCAC meeting that opens on Friday will be the second time China has brought together African leaders since the forum was launched in Beijing in 2000.<\/p>\n
Since then, China\u2019s trade with Africa has overtaken that of the traditional partners of Europe and the United States.<\/p>\n
Despite its economic woes back home, China is still expected to flex its financing and investment prowess.<\/p>\n
But African countries say they are not arriving at the summit with a begging bowl.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not an aid conference, it\u2019s a partnership conference. So there is not an expectation that we in Africa are expecting handouts,\u201d said Ghulam Hoosein Asmal, a senior official in South Africa\u2019s foreign affairs ministry.<\/p>\n
While the final guest list has yet to be confirmed, leaders from some of the continent\u2019s most powerful nations such as Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria are among those attending.<\/p>\n
Officials say at least 41 heads of states and government are expected at the meeting being hosted in Sandton, the upmarket financial district of Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
Ahead of FOCAC, China emphasised it had delivered more than $117 million in aid to affected areas during the Ebola crisis in West Africa, and also sent hundreds of medical workers to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a sense that African leaders seek economic empowerment, not simply reliance, from their relationship with China,\u201d said Lyle Morris, China analyst at the RAND Corporation in California.<\/p>\n
Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, is not expected to travel to Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
He attended an African Union summit in the city earlier this year, leading to a huge furore when South Africa declined to arrest him despite a court order.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chinese President Xi Jinping will Friday address a summit of 40 African leaders in Johannesburg, with a host of major deals set to underline China\u2019s commitment to the continent despite a sharp fall in investment. China\u2019s economic growth has recently taken a dip, triggering a global commodities slump and forcing Beijing to slash investment in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":171776,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[38,14],"yoast_head":"\n