AfDB president says China is important, great partner

BERLIN - China is an important and great partner in developing Africa, the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) said Monday to a press briefing in Berlin.

Under the topic of "How can G20 members support and push the development of African states?" in the German-African Business Association, Akinwumi Adesina, president of AfDB said to the press, "China is very important" and "China is a great partner".

Adesina said, "AfDB has a special relationship with China on investment in African private sectors. "

He evaluated China's investment in Africa as "massive" and those in African infrastructure as "particular important".

Adesina pointed out, China has a $2 billion facility called Africa Growing Together Fund, which with AfDB co-finances developing projects in Africa over a 10-year period.

"So China is very important (in Africa)", said the president.

Adesina also said, China's experiences on developing the special economic zones in Africa is "a great success". He cited Ethiopia as an example, where Chinese companies have invested in transforming leather into footwear and other industries, has benefited a lot from China's investments.

"So China is a great partner," Adesina stressed. He said he is looking forward to increasing cooperation with China in the framework of G20, in order to explore more investment opportunities in Africa.

To this point, Stefan Liebling, chairman of the German-African Business Association, added that G20 members can learn from China in terms of investing in Africa.

He thought it's worthy for China and Germany, the presidency states of G20 last year and this year, to sit together and discuss cooperation to do business in Africa and make contribution to the continent.