Aid to Africa focus of UN case studies

China's sharing of agricultural tech, experiences commended

China's role in providing agricultural assistance to Africa was the focus of case studies launched at the United Nations on Monday.

Ahunna Eziakonwa, assistant administrator and director of the United Nations Development Programme's regional bureau for Africa, commended the willingness of the Chinese "to share their experiences on agriculture transformation with Africa, particularly Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique, in this case".

"This initiative should be complemented with technology transfer, enhanced knowledge and experience-sharing, particularly in addition to agriculture products, corridors to accelerate economic diversification and industrialization in Africa," she said at the launch of the case studies on experiences and innovation in China's agricultural assistance in Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau.

The event was co-organized by China's International Development Cooperation Agency and the development program. Cooperation agency Vice-Chairman Deng Boqing introduced the case studies.

In September, President Xi Jinping announced at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Beijing that China will work with Africa to formulate and implement a program of action to promote China-Africa cooperation on agricultural modernization.

China will implement 50 agricultural assistance programs, provide 1 billion yuan ($144 million) of emergency humanitarian food assistance to African countries affected by natural disasters, send 500 senior agriculture experts to Africa and train entrepreneurs in agribusiness.

"These initiatives will promote agricultural development in African countries, increase production of food and cash crops, increase farmers' incomes, improve agricultural production and management capacity and improve food security," Deng said.

China has always committed to promoting agricultural and rural development in developing countries, especially in Africa, making poverty alleviation a priority for foreign aid, Deng said.

China's agricultural assistance in Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau is one of China's signature initiatives across Africa, he said.

Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu said Africa is home to the largest number of developing countries.

The implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals "faces serious challenges", Ma said. "The international community should increase its sense of urgency, focusing on helping African countries and ... poverty and hunger elimination, infrastructure construction and sustainable industrialization."

Ma said China's role in supporting countries in accelerating development under the framework of South-South cooperation has continuously grown over the past half-century.

Since 2008, the UN's development program and China cooperated to expose Chinese institutions to international development practices as well as share China's development experiences with other countries.

With the establishment of China's development agency, the nation has taken significant steps to further cement its international engagement in development cooperation.

The event was followed with an exhibition featuring publications, project videos, photos and stories of beneficiaries from the early recovery projects funded by the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund as well as UNDP China's 40th anniversary highlights.