China

ASEAN leaders’ summit kicks off in Laos

World /

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit began in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Wednesday. In a short statement on X, the ASEAN Secretariat said the summit started with the opening ceremony which will be followed by a plenary session and a retreat session. “ASEAN Leaders will engage with representatives from AIPA (ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly), ASEAN-BAC (ASEAN Business Advisory Council), and ASEAN Youth,” it said. Leaders from member countries who arrived on Tuesday in Vientiane are expected to discuss regional issues, including recent devastating floods that have hit several ASEAN countries, the crisis in Myanmar, South China Sea tensions, and Middle East violence. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other leaders from partner countries are also expected to arrive in Laos for summits with regional bloc leaders. The ASEAN region is home to over 700 million people, spans 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square kilometers), and recorded a total GDP of $3.62 trillion in 2022.

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“South Africa launches scheme to boost chinese and Indian tourism”

Discover /

South Africa is setting its sights on increasing visitor numbers from China and India with the introduction of a new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) scheduled to launch in January 2025. The TTOS will invite vetted and approved tour operators from these countries to register with the Department of Home Affairs. This initiative aims to streamline the process and reduce bureaucratic hurdles for tourists, particularly targeting large tour groups and business delegations. In 2023, South Africa welcomed 93,000 Chinese visitors. However, Minister Leon Schreiber noted that the country has been underperforming in attracting tourists from China and India. He attributes this partly to the existing red tape that complicates the visa process. The TTOS is designed to address these issues by providing a dedicated team to expedite visa applications, ensuring a more efficient and reliable process. Currently, Indian tourists represent only 3.9% of South Africa’s international visitors, while Chinese tourists account for just 1.8%. The TTOS is expected to make significant strides in improving these figures, with strong support from South Africa’s hospitality industry. Angela Wu, Director of the Travel Service Department at upGrowth, a South African marketing company, emphasized that a simplified visa process would greatly enhance the attraction of Chinese clients, particularly for business and customized leisure tours. South Africa, one of the top five most-visited countries on the continent, anticipates that a 10% annual increase in tourism could boost the nation’s economic growth by 0.6% and generate thousands of new jobs. The TTOS will also focus on tourists from non-visa exempt countries, as announced by the Department of Home Affairs on September 2.

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China Pledges $50 Billion to Africa

Business /

 China’s President Xi Jinping Thursday pledged more than $50 billion in funding to the African continent, and announced elevating ties with all member nations to “strategic level.” The Chinese government “will provide RMB360 billion yuan ($50.7 billion) of financial support through the next three years” to African nations, Xi told the 9th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing. Beijing is hosting the largest diplomatic gathering with leaders and representatives of nearly 53 African nations attending the three-day summit which began Wednesday. Xi boasted China’s relations with African nations were “now at its best in history.” “With its future growth in mind,” Xi told the summit, “I propose that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations.” He added: “The overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.” Referring to the pledges of new funding, the Chinese leader said more than half of $50 billion will be in credit while nearly $11 billion will be given in various types of grants. It also includes $10 billion investments through Chinese firms, said the 71-year-old Xi, who also leads Chinese Communist Party. In the Action Plan adopted at the Beijing summit, Xi announced 10 areas where China will cooperate and work with African nations in jointly advancing “modernization that is just, equitable, open, win-win, eco-friendly, featuring diversity and inclusiveness and underpinned by peace and security.” Besides, he said China will partner with the African continent in industrial chain cooperation, green development as well as common security. The FOCAC summit has been held every three years since 2000 when it was founded. Xi also met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who also attended the summit. “China seeks no selfish interest in Africa, and the new cooperation initiatives and actions announced at FOCAC (summit) are all aimed at turbocharging African countries’ development and making lives better for the African people,” Xi told Guterres. The Chinese leader told the world body chief that China was “ready” to work more closely with the UN to jointly support Africa’s effort for peace, stability, development and prosperity. In the past 22 years since 2000 when FOCAC was established, China has built some 100,000 kilometers (62,138 miles) of highways and 10,000KM of railways in Africa. Besides, China built over 200 schools, over 130 hospitals, nearly 100 ports as well as 50 stadiums on the continent. According to the Boston University Global Development Policy Center database, Chinese lenders provided 1,306 loans amounting to $182.28 billion to 49 African governments and seven regional borrowers from 2000 until last year. Beijing also founded the China-Africa Development Fund in 2006.​​​​​​​

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China urges African countries to unite ‘Global South’

Africa /

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on African leaders to unite the “Global South” in advocating for international equity and justice amid major global changes. In meetings with African leaders attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, Xi stressed the importance of solidarity among developing nations. Xi highlighted new partnerships, including a “Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership” with South Africa and proposed three types of collaboration with Kenya: mutual trust, win-win cooperation, and strategic alignment on international and regional issues. With Comoros, Xi emphasized cooperation as a model of equality and solidarity, offering support to combat poverty and utilize the country’s geographical advantages. He also invited Seychelles to join the China-Indian Ocean Development Cooperation Forum and urged faster sustainable use of marine resources. Regarding Eritrea, Xi proposed enhanced cooperation in energy, infrastructure, and agriculture, noting shared views on international matters. In discussions with Guinea, Xi highlighted FOCAC’s role in boosting practical cooperation and supporting Guinea’s development. With Chad, Xi supported the country’s sovereignty and security, while Chad reaffirmed its adherence to the “One China” policy. In his meeting with Malawi, Xi discussed leveraging opportunities from China’s modernization and increasing cooperation in various fields. Xi reiterated Africa’s crucial role as a global power and China’s diplomatic focus, advocating for a multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization. The FOCAC’s ninth summit will take place in Beijing from September 4-6, with leaders from over 50 countries attending. Eswatini will not participate due to its diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

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