- Celebrating the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
By Anthony Nwachukwu
Head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, Ambassador Jiang Feng, has restated his country’s commitment to deepening the China-Africa relations.
Ambassador Jiang, who spoke at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the celebration of the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), emphasised that peace, security, development and prosperity are shared aspirations between China and Africa.
Jiang further underlined the values of fairness, justice and mutual benefit, stating that “win-win cooperation” is the only pathway to lasting global peace and shared development.
According to him, China is ready to collaborate with Africa to implement key global initiatives, including, the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilisation Initiative.
Jiang described Africa as undergoing a new awakening, aligning itself with its long-term development goals laid out in Agenda 2063. He noted that the Beijing FOCAC Summit held last September ushered in a “new chapter” in building an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era.
Both sides have actively pursued 10 partnership actions for modernisation, guided by summit consensus, and yielding promising results.
In the context of trade, Jiang reiterated China’s dedication to deepening economic engagement through the promotion of African exports.
He highlighted President Xi Jinping’s pledge to “grant zero-tariff treatment for 100 per cent of tariff lines to all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China, and provide enhanced support to Africa’s least developed countries.”
Regarding this strategy as using the “golden key” of China-Africa solidarity to unlock future opportunities for common development, Jiang stressed that Chinese modernisation will serve as an engine for African economic growth, peace and stability.
The ambassador further reaffirmed China’s commitment to a peaceful development path and its dedication to contributing to world peace through its own growth, adding that the overall goal is to help build a community with a shared future for mankind.
