Chinese-built booster stations of a photovoltaic power plant in the city of Bimbo, Central African Republic. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

Edited by LIN Yuchen

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attended the completion ceremony for the first phase of Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on January 11, saying that China and Africa completed construction ahead of schedule, creating new highlights in China-Africa cooperation.

The first phase of the Africa CDC was undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, who first broke ground in 2020. It also represents Africa's first CDC with modern offices, laboratory conditions and complete facilities.

The Africa CDC is a flagship cooperation project announced by President Xi Jinping at the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and another landmark project for China-Africa cooperation after the African Union Conference Center, said Qin.

Besides healthcare, China-Africa cooperation also extended to an array of fields, ranging from education to infrastructure and technology.

In April 2021, a Chinese-built vocational training center began operation in Gabon, funding 160 students for their training in electronics, machining, and welding.

Since the launch of FOCAC in 2000, China has built more than 6,000 kilometers of rail lines, 6,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 20 ports, and over 80 large power facilities in Africa. See page 3

China has long supported the infrastructure construction in Africa and trained all kinds of professionals in practical skills, said Paul Frimpong, an associate at Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory, a Ghana-based think tank, adding that this would effectively enhance the capacity of African countries to develop on their own.

A total of 163 wind-power generators manufactured by Chinese firms have been installed in the Northern Cape province, South Africa, to meet the electricity demands of 300,000 local households. In Nigeria, the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station commenced operation in March 2022, and is expected to generate an annual 2.64 billion kWh of electricity for local people.

China-Africa trade reached about 254 billion USD in 2021, up 35.3 percent compared to 2020. During the first half of 2022, it was approximately 137 billion USD, an increase of approximately 17 percent year-on-year.