国际英语资讯:Interview: China-Africa expo to boost economic and trade ties_时事

国际英语资讯:Interview: China-Africa expo to boost economic and trade ties

Adejumobi said the launch of the expo, which coincides with the coming into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), will add further impetus to trade promotion and growth between the two sides.

"I think the AfCFTA provides a good opportunity for Africa to relate with China from a relative position of strength and a position in which China itself can also explore ways to support the AfCFTA," he said.

However, the two sides should also discuss and address concerns from African businesses of unfair competition from cheap Chinese goods, he said.

He said Africa should also clamor for more Chinese investment in the manufacturing sector, especially the textile industry.

"We should be able to see if it's possible for China to produce from Africa, whether it is possible for China to support Africa in terms of skills and entrepreneurship development, research and development and in terms of technology transfer in infrastructure development rather than China having to do it for Africa."

The UNECA official said China should encourage Africa to search for technology from all over the world to independently build its economies, rather than having China itself implementing the technology in Africa.

"What China did for its own transformation was to learn by doing, and not by others doing it for her. China was able to search for technology from all over the world to do what it needed to do and I think the same approach is what China should encourage Africa to do," Adejumobi said.