FREETOWN, Aug. 25 (232News) – At the China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum held on August 24, 2021, Assistant Foreign Minister Deng Li, on behalf of the Chinese side, announced the plans related to the “China-Africa Digital Innovation Partnership Program”.
Deng Li said that at the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit On Solidarity Against COVID-19 last year, President Xi Jinping pointed out that China would explore broader cooperation with Africa in such new business forms as digital economy, smart city, clean energy, and 5G. At the beginning of this year, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi suggested jointly building a “digital Africa” during his trip to the continent. China is willing to formulate and implement the “China-Africa Digital Innovation Partnership Program” with Africa.
First, we need to strengthen digital infrastructure and open up the information artery of economic and social development. China will share with Africa its digital technology results and promote the interconnectivity of digital infrastructure. Chinese enterprises are encouraged to work with their African counterparts to build digital infrastructure, including optical fiber cable backbone networks, cross-border connectivity, and new-generation mobile network. Efforts will be made to promote access to Internet in remote African areas and build the “last kilometer” of information connection.
Second, we need to develop digital economy and promote the integrated development of digital technologies and the real economy. We need to support Africa in improving its digitalization of public sectors and enterprises, and accelerate Africa’s industrialization by new technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and mobile payment. We also need to enhance e-commerce cooperation to facilitate the access of African brand products to the Chinese market, and speed up the integration of Africa’s information chain and industrial chain by cross-border e-commerce.
Third, we need to roll out digital education and break the “talent bottleneck” of digital innovation. A series of projects, such as the Talented Young Scientist Program and the International Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project will be implemented. Measures will be taken to enhance China-Africa distance education cooperation, further support Africa in nurturing outstanding young talents in the digital field, and encourage Chinese enterprises to reinforce communication and cooperation with African innovation talents.
Fourth, we need to increase digital inclusiveness to serve ordinary people in Africa. We need to support African countries in using digital technologies in the areas related to people’s wellbeing, such as traffic, healthcare and finance, build “smart cities”, and enhance state governance and COVID response by digital technologies. Chinese enterprises are encouraged to participate in building public service platforms of e-government, e-payment and digital currencies in Africa.
Fifth, we need to build digital security and improve Africa’s capacities of digital governance. We welcome African countries to join the Initiative on Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace and the Global Initiative on Data Security. China is willing to work with Africa to enhance dialogue and communication on cybersecurity emergency response and the rules and regulations on the Internet, jointly create an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for digital development, and explore and formulate the rules on global digital governance.
Sixth, we need to build a cooperation platform to promote digital progress through communication. China will explore the possibility of building a China-Africa high-level dialogue platform of digital cooperation, strengthen communication and exchanges with African governments, “Smart Africa” and other organizations, continue to hold such activities as “China Inno Tour for African Young Scientists”, and support the building of the China-Africa innovation and cooperation center.
Deng Li stressed that China’s initiatives will never be “visions” on the paper. China will soon formulate and implement the “China-Africa Digital Innovation Partnership Program” with Africa for an early harvest. Some joint projects of optical fiber cable backbone networks will be carried out in Africa. Such events as e-commerce promotion of African products and China-Africa BDS Cooperation Forum will be held in September. China and Africa will jointly design practical cooperation measures in the digital field for the next three years and include them in the outcome document of the new session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Forum was attended by ministerial officials in digital and telecommunication fields from African countries and the African Union Commission, diplomatic envoys to China, and scholars and entrepreneurs from China and African countries.
