What Africa should expect from Chinese new President Xi Jinping

Since the leadership transition began in China during the 18^th National congress of the CPC in November 2012 when Xi Jinping was elected heir-in-waiting, until his eventual endorsement on March 14, 2013, analysts predicted that the leadership transition in the most populous nation and the world’s second largest economy will significantly interest the entire globe. Rightly so, Africa is keen to observe and engage with the new Chinese president and expectations are unsurprisingly high.

There is no doubt that president Xi Jinping is Africa’s friend. He is a leader who regards Africa highly and has been instrumental in shaping China’s sociable policies towards Africa during his service in the Communist Party of China. He has consistently supported the improvement of Sino-Africa ties through the FOCAC Summits and has visited Africa severally as Vice-president to negotiate and discuss ways of improving Sino-Africa relations. His endorsement as president offers him an opportunity to implement his valued ideas for China-Africa cooperation and continue from where his predecessor left. He has already expressed his intention to maintain the continuity of China’s favorable policies while adjusting its relations with Africa to achieve further success in our cooperative development.

President Xi Jinping is no stranger to Africa and understands Africa well. He is a pragmatic leader and we expect him to embark on solidifying the gains made and break new grounds in Africa. His ideas on China-Africa cooperation are well known and Africa expects him to expeditiously boost the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership. In his trip to Africa in 2010 as vice-president, Xi Jinping specifically called for concerted efforts to make the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) stronger and more effective. 

He addressed the seminar marking the 10^th anniversary of the establishment of FOCAC in Pretoria, South Africa and asked the parties to be strategic in planning, encouraged practical cooperation and institutionalizing of FOCAC as a major engine to drive common development for China and Africa.

It is not surprising that Xi Jinping has chosen Africa on his first foreign trip as president. It is a vivid demonstration that he attaches great importance to the new type of strategic partnership with Africa and what role Africa plays in China’s foreign policy. This visit is crucial to the continent’s future development. It will promote the friendly relationship that China and Africa have sustained so far and it will offer him an opportunity to announce his specific ideas and policies for Africa in the coming years.

We should therefore expect the new president to strengthen and accelerate the pace of comprehensive cooperation between China and Africa.  He has always called for expansion of China Africa cooperation to new areas and he is determined to lift China-Africa ties to higher levels by boosting political, economic and cultural cooperation as well as coordination on regional security and major global issues. "No matter how situations change, China will attach importance to ties with Africa, remain a reliable friend and faithful partner of African nations,” President Xi said when he met with Dlamini-Zuma at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in February this year. "Africa is a continent of hope," he said, adding that China supports the self-determined development of and the solidarity among African countries as well as their pursuit of progressive paths suitable for their own national conditions.

In the recent report to the 18^th national congress of the Communist party of China (CPC), former president, Hu Jintao outlined China’s diplomatic priorities in the new era that president Xi is expected to implement. The report highlighted China’s commitment to the improvement and the growing solidarity, friendship and cooperation with Africa on the basis of equality and win-win cooperation. Former president Hu Jintao served 20 billion US dollars to African countries meant for the construction of vital infrastructure such as new roads, railways and ports. The loans are also meant for investment in small scale industries and agriculture to enable higher volumes of trade and export. There has been a sustained increase in foreign direct investment from China to Africa in the last few years and this is bound to continue.

China and Africa share many common interests and our friendship and cooperation has created more economic opportunities for Africa. There is a lot to share and many substantial areas of cooperation that can be exploited. President Xi Jinping has pledged to continue to support and improve the mutually beneficial cooperation with Africa and his tenure is expected to yield more benefits to African development.

New Kenyan Government offers new opportunities for China-Kenya Cooperation.

China and Kenya have successfully established a mutually beneficial relationship over the last few years. The last decade, under President Hu Jintao and Mwai Kibaki has seen china-Kenya friendship and cooperation achieve historical heights.  As the two leaders leave the centre stage for the new leadership, it is important to maintain and enhance this relationship to tap into the unlimited opportunities that this relationship continues to create. As Kenya undergoes the process of installing a new administration, the new Chinese leader, Mr. Xi Jinping has already expressed his intention to maintain the continuity of its policies while adjusting its relations with Africa and developing countries to achieve further success in our cooperative development.

As the second largest single economy, through achieving steady growth, adjusting the economic structure and improving industrialization, information and communication, urbanization and modernization of agriculture, China has become the engine of the global economy. Its development has created more business opportunities to Kenya and boosted the recovery of the global economy. Over the last ten years that the two leaders have been in power, China and Kenya have established a long-term stable and mutually-beneficial relationship. They have established bilateral exchanges and cooperation on trade, infrastructure, energy, medical service, culture, education, technology, tourism and other areas. 

This leadership transition in both countries offers another exceptional opportunity for the incoming leaders to enhance and solidify the strategic cooperation already in place. We expect that the pace of comprehensive cooperation with China will be strengthened and accelerated as the two countries embark on a new period of cooperative development under a new set of leadership. China and Kenya have a lot to share. There are many potential areas of substantial cooperation that can be exploited. For Instance, our agricultural, Industrial and economic cooperation has a lot of potential and a promising future. China offers learning and cooperative opportunities to the new national and county governments and a development path that has been tested and proven to be effective. 

Learning from China’s development pathways is particularly timely in lieu of the recently established county governments that seek to advance development from the grassroots level. Kenya boasts abundant agricultural resources, while China is a advanced agricultural country with mature and applicable agricultural technologies.Therefore, the new national and regional governments must consider consulting a country that has successfully transformed its agricultural sector and managed to feed its huge population that accounts for 1/5 of the world’s total with just 10% of global farmland and the global average for water resources per capita. China’s transformation emphasized on agriculture which is estimated to have contributed to poverty reduction four times more than growth in the manufacturing and services sectors.
 

When food production is sufficient, industry thrives. After the boost in agriculture and rural economy development, China’s reform focused on industrial growth through gradual external openness. Farm produce needs to be processed, preserved and value added. China established special economic zones where market driven policies and flexible government measures were implemented to attract foreign investors and business to invest in China. These included investment in new infrastructure like roads, energy and telecommunications. The government provided banks and land to set up industries and preferential tax exemptions for foreign firms who wanted to invest in China. 

Many of these specific approaches to increasing agricultural productivity, food security and economic development if appropriately adapted to the Kenyan situation, may help the new leadership improve the lives of Kenyans greatly and boost economic growth. The objective should be to create food security, rural stability, surplus income and labor supply to drive industrial development and in turn economic development.

China's investment to Kenya has played a big role in promoting Kenya’s’ development and it is expected that the new leadership will take this into account. Kenya needs China to support its economic and social development as it strives to fulfill its economic and development goals set in the Vision 2030 development plan. With the same cooperation from the two sides, and taking advantage of the new opportunities, Kenya has a chance to benefit a great deal from China’s experiences and lessons, bringing more benefits to the people of Kenya.

China supports the People's choice in Kenya

As the people of Kenya slowly disengage from the spirited process of electing its new leaders, Kenyans will remember and continue to debate the role of the international community and diplomatic partners in this arduous process.

While several foreign countries and foreign media gave controversial opinions on the highly polarized elections, China stuck to the principle of non-interference. China does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or impose its will on others. Its foreign policy, especially towards Africa is based on equality, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

In a press conference just before the elections, the Chief of information and public affairs section at the Chinese embassy in Nairobi reiterated that China will strictly adhere to the principle of non interference and expressed their confidence in the Kenyan people to conduct peaceful and credible elections. He stated that China is ready to work with the new government. Friendly states respect each other’s sovereignty, core interests and choice of social system and development path.

Despite China’s growing influence internationally, coupled with increased interest in Africa, it has shown respect to Kenyans by letting them elect leaders of their choice.

Equality and mutual trust constitute the political foundation for the sound and steady growth of International relations in the new world order. Countries, big or small, developed or developing are all equals. This is the norm enshrined in the UN charter and universally accepted. 

However, hegemonism, power politics and neo-interventionism continue to plague the international system. International political inequality still exists, and the right to independent choice in politics, economics and overall development of developing countries is still widely abused.

China is a rising global power both politically and economically. Nevertheless, it has remained humble and respectful developing countries. Despite its rising global status and power, China is still a developing country and has stood with developing countries in difficult and trying times. It has persistently opposed outside interference in the internal affairs of other countries and encouraged strengthening of local and regional mechanism to deal with challenges related to politics, justice, governance and social system.

In the report to the 18^th National congress of the Communist Party of China, the outgoing president of the people’s republic of China; Mr. Hu Jintao stated that his country continues to call for equality, mutual respect, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual beneficial cooperation in international relations. China has called on all countries to observe the purposes of the UN charter.

Every nation has its own distinctive features which may be different from one another, but none is superior or inferior to others. Various cultures can learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses and vitally promote greater democracy in international relations. This cannot be achieved by coercion, threats and dominance but by dialogue that nurtures understanding and builds confidence amongst the people.

Whereas the international community and partners are entitled to their opinions on the Kenyan process, they should be mindful of avoiding actions and statements that could be interpreted as interference.  Any action that has the potential to influence persons to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate is a violation of the principles of the UN Charter on non-interference. It is therefore imperative that members of the international community support the newly elected leadership as they represent they will of the people and continue working together with the new government to foster growth and development.

We are better off following the Chinese growth Model -The Independent model

China’s progress since reform and opening up in the late 1970s has displayed a model of independent development, especially for African countries that are pursuing their development take off. African leaders must learn from the Chinese leadership’s single-mindedness and commitment to economic reforms. The Chinese leaders have demonstrated that is possible for poor countries to transform themselves independently through concrete economic reforms supported by state institutions. The Chinese model has taught us that the market and state can coexist and complement each other for development.

The market economy was vigorously prescribed to African countries as a way of dealing with the debt crisis and other economic challenges facing the continent. African countries were coerced into undertaking economic reforms by the World Bank, IMF and European countries to revive their struggling economies. Despite massive lay off and government restructuring, these policies failed miserably.

Meanwhile, the Chinese leaders were thinking for themselves after observing what was going on in Africa and Europe. They were reading the global economy and adjusting accordingly to new trends. China started reconfiguring its economy from manufacturing to more high-end technological approaches using local resources and innovation. It relied on the export of goods to grow its economy, using affordable labor force.

Many westerners underestimated China’s capacity in the global economic playground. Many economists predicted that its agricultural, financial and automobile industries would collapse because China did not follow their development models. They emphasized that without tariff protection, China’s domestic enterprises could not challenge European and American multinationals as Japan and South Korea had done.

Nonetheless, China continued to pursue its own unique development model based on local conditions and over the last decade, its economy has steadily grown at an average rate of 10% becoming the second biggest economy in the world and then engine of global economic growth. China’s leading role in shifting global economic dynamics is an outstanding scenario not seen since the Industrial revolution. China has now gained an upper hand and is leading by example. China does not interfere, not advocate interference in the internal affairs of other Nations but rather it encourages each partner to establish its own unique development model that best suits its environment.

China’s fast growth must offer lessons to Africa on the limitations of western development prescriptions. Many African countries now look to China as a model of growth and development. Africa must avoid excessive consumption and strategically implement independent policies that work for its local conditions. We must create new patters of trade, one that features south-south cooperation. Africa must trade with itself more. Kenya and other African countries could increase regional trade and industrial production of goods by following the Chinese model, which emphasizes the harnessing of local resources and local conditions to power economic growth.  Only then can we achieve sustainable development.

A Cultural feast to celebrate Chinese New Year

February  was a significant Month for China Kenya cultural relations. H.E Liu Guangyuan, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, hosted the “2013 spring festival reception” at the Kasarani Gymnasium, Moi  International sports centre to celebrate the Chinese spring festival with the Chinese community in Kenya and Kenyans from all walks of life. The Chinese Embassy in Nairobi presented to the Kenyan public and invited guests an enjoyable cultural show dubbed “Embrace China & Happy Spring Festival”.

Notable guests present included hon. Richard Onyonka, assistant minister for foreign affairs of Kenya, Amb. Ruth Solitei, Permanent secretary of the ministry of tourism of Kenya, Dr. Bitange Ndemo, Permanent secretary of the ministry of Information and Communications of Kenya, and madame Sahle-Work Zewde, Director general of the United Nations Office at Nairobi(UNON). Also in attendance were Kenyan government officials, media Houses, UN Organizations, foreign missions in Kenya. The total number of attendees was nearly 4000.

The show was the first major Chinese cultural show this year and it sought to carry forward and spread the Chinese culture and celebrate the Chinese New Year with overseas Chinese and friends. The Chinese delegation of art and dance troupes performed in Kenya as part of their overseas tour under the theme of “Embrace China & Happy Spring festival”. The group consisted of talented artists, singers, dancers and acrobatics among other performers whose main aim was to vividly demonstrate Chinese traditional essence and promote cultural exchanges between China and other countries. In his speech, Ambassador Liu averred that spring festival serves as an important cultural bond that links Chinese people and people from the rest of the world. He added that spring festival has become a worldwide cultural brand. He said it offers an excellent opportunity to further cement ties between the two countries noting that this year marks the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of China-Kenya diplomatic relations.

Chinese culture is one of the world’s oldest and most complex cultures. Its components include literature, music, visual arts, martial arts, cuisine, etc. The audience was treated to shows including acrobatics with a distinctive Chinese flavor. The highly entertaining Chinese opera was also in the menu. It is also one of the oldest dramatic art forms in the world. It evolved from folk songs, dances, talking, antimasque, and especially a distinctive dialectical music. Accompanied by traditional musical instruments, actors presented unique melodies as well as dialogues which are beautifully written and of high literary value. 

In the modern world, friendship between people and their countries is developing a world culture. It blossoms among people of different countries and continents irrespective of their class, creed and color. Every country has it unique and distinctive culture of its own expressed differently from one culture to the other, but the central idea is concerned with human understanding and progress. Modern states have come to the realization that when these cultures are taught across the globe through classics, paintings, music, dance, drama, and literature, a world culture of friendship is developed. There is much scope for different peoples, irrespective of their geographical position to mingle together and develop a world culture by means of friendship.

In the Report to the 18^th National Congress of the CPC, it was indicated that China will take solid steps to promote public international diplomacy and cultural and people to people exchanges. This is the first time that public diplomacy has been explicitly written into the party’s report. These steps will be a continuation of what China has been doing over the recent past. Cultural ties between China and Africa date back to the Tang Dynasty, but have progressed at a snail's pace, compared to the economic and political relationship over the last two decades.

In recent years, public diplomacy and cooperation in culture and people to people exchanges between China and Africa have been progressing well, strengthening our mutual friendship. This has provided a platform for understanding our cultural differences and contributed to building a strategic relationship of development between China and Africa. Public diplomacy and cultural and people to people exchanges will help Africa to have a better knowledge of China’s history, culture, development path, concepts of governance and its domestic and foreign policies and look at China more objectively and comprehensively. A better understanding of one another’s culture is the backbone of China –Africa ties.

Public diplomacy and cultural and people to people exchanges have become part and parcel of China’s overall foreign policy and are important in improving ties and building lasting friendships with other countries to achieve global harmony.More and more Africans are getting interested in the Chinese culture. Some of them travel to China to visit the places of interest there; some receive education or trainings in schools or universities in China; some learn Chinese language in Confucius Institutes or other institutions back in their own countries. To cement what we achieved in the last decade and keep the momentum going, the Chinese people and their African counterparts need to understand each other well. This will help them tackle effectively the challenges that arise out of the closer links that have been established.