More exchanges sought to promote friendship

Further people-to-people dialogues urged to clear up misunderstandings and enhance China-Africa ties

While China has built its cooperation with African countries on trade and investment, many people feel there is a need to enhance people-to-people ties in order to increase understanding between Chinese and Africans.

According to Kiprop Lagat, director of culture at Kenya's Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts, more needs to be done to further enhance the China-Africa people-to-people relationship.

Lagat believes that efforts should be made to link communities in Africa with counterparts in China for exchange visits, allowing people to learn more about each other's cultures and way of life.

Additionally, he says trade practices, especially those of Chinese in Africa, should be more open and honest in order to dispel any notion that Chinese businesses are exploitative.

"China should minimize the importation of unskilled labor from China and opt to utilize local employees in order to promote stronger socioeconomic ties," he says.

However, Lagat says people-to-people relationships between China and Africa are already growing stronger by the day because of increased trade relations.

"I see an increasing appetite to learn more about each other, as demonstrated by the desire to learn Chinese in some of our institutions of learning, including at secondary level," he says.

Josiah Mutua, a businessman who imports vehicle spare parts from China, says improved people-to-people ties will translate into increased friendship.

"Today, Chinese feel so insecure to walk freely in many African countries because of the perceived lack of security. However, we should move to a point where Chinese and Africans can socialize freely in public parks and social venues, because China is currently Africa's biggest trading partner," he says.

While Mutua appreciates the ongoing initiatives by the Chinese government to promote people-to-people ties, such as the establishment of Confucius Institutes and offering of education scholarships, he says more needs to be done to reach rural African communities.

"Most of the people living in rural areas still have a negative perception about China. They believe that China produces low-quality products and that they are trying to exploit the continent's natural resources through their widespread infrastructure projects," he says.

Over the recent past, the Chinese government has been encouraging cultural exchanges with African countries, among other programs, in order to enhance people-to-people ties. China has, for instance, been sponsoring educational activities to help Africans better understand China and its people.

The launch of Confucius Institutes in various countries has also given Africans an opportunity to learn Mandarin, as well as to find out about Chinese culture.

Further interactions have been created by the Chinese government's initiative to send agricultural experts, doctors, peacekeepers and researchers to Africa.

The China-Africa Think Tanks Forum, established by Zhejiang Normal University in 2011, is considered an example of how Sino-African people-to-people ties can work.

The forum offers a bridge for linking up important ideas from Chinese and African elites. The forums are held alternately in China and Africa once a year.

The China-Africa Think Tanks Forum is aimed at letting people-to-people exchanges play the major role, with participation from the government and candid dialogues in order to reach a consensus.

The forum brings together think tanks from China and Africa, as well as scholars from other parts of the world with an interest in China-Africa relations, to conduct dialogues, exchanges and discussions on the African economic and political situation, China-Africa relations and other related topics.

It is aimed at increasing understanding, expanding consensus, consolidating friendship, offering suggestions and enhancing the role of China-Africa think tanks in promoting bilateral cooperation on all fronts.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/06/2017 page27)