Durban summit strengthens BRICS cooperation, partnership (3)

BRICS AND AFRICA

At the dialogue forum with African leaders, Xi put forward a four-point proposal on further cooperation between BRICS and Africa in infrastructure.

Firstly, he said, the BRICS countries should jointly promote Africa's infrastructure construction as a priority of international cooperation for development, and help the continent achieve faster growth and create more jobs.

Xi said that, secondly, the BRICS countries should jointly participate in major African transnational projects, including those proposed by the Group of 20, the African Union and sub-regional organizations, and turn them into a driving force for deepening economic integration and improving people's livelihoods in Africa.

Thirdly, the BRICS countries should jointly enhance financial cooperation with Africa and increase investment in the continent through a multilateral development bank, he said.

The planned BRICS development bank should take into account business with Africa, Xi said, calling on the financial forum of BRICS nations to discuss ways of cooperation with Africa, including launching bilateral currency swaps, to support the continent's infrastructure construction.

Fourthly, the BRICS countries should keep sustainable development in mind while carrying out infrastructure cooperation with Africa, so that rapid economic growth would not be achieved at the expense of the environment, he said.

Xi said that, within the framework of South-South cooperation, China would pay more attention to Africa's infrastructure while conducting foreign assistance and investment and financing cooperation.

China is ready to form cooperative partnerships with African nations in transnational and trans-regional infrastructure projects, and help them with the preliminary work of promoting connectivity and resource surveys, he said.

Every year, China would train 300 infrastructure managers and technicians from Africa, Xi said, adding that infrastructure projects would take a front seat in China's 20-billion-U.S.-dollar loan commitment to Africa.

China would, via investment, financing, aid, cooperation and other means, encourage its enterprises and financial institutions to participate in the construction and management of Africa's transnational and trans-regional infrastructure projects, Xi said.

The Chinese government had promised zero-tariff treatment for 97 percent of the exports to China from the least developed nations which have diplomatic ties with China, and all related measures would be in place by 2015, said the Chinese leader.

Xi's proposals for furthering China-Africa ties were hailed by participating African leaders at the forum, who spoke highly of China's important role in boosting development on the continent.

They also expressed the willingness to work with China to lift the China-Africa strategic partnership to a new level.