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| China’s President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening ceremony of the of high-level dialogue between Chinese and African leaders and business and industry representatives ahead of the 6th Forum of China-Africa Cooperation at the Beijing National Convention Centre in Beijing on September 3, 2018. / AFP PHOTO |
African leaders attending this weekโs summit with China donโt think that cooperation between the continent and Beijing has added to their debt burden, the Chinese governmentโs top diplomat said on Thursday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $60 billion to African nations at Mondayโs opening of a China-Africa forum on cooperation, matching the size of funds offered at the last summit in Johannesburg in 2015.
China has denied engaging in โdebt trapโ diplomacy, and Xi said this week government debt from Chinese interest-free loans due by year-end would be written off for the poorest African nations.
In a statement posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministryโs website, in the form of a question and answer, State Councillor Wang Yi said Xiโs speech had met with a rapturous reception from the African leaders at the summit.
โSome African leaders stated outright, certain Western countries only speak but donโt act, but China takes actual actions,โ Wang, who is also Chinaโs foreign minister, said.
โThey said, China upholds putting righteousness first and is consistent in its sincere and selfless support for Africaโs development, in stark contrast to the inequality of relations between some major powers and Africa, and that those who believe Africa-China cooperation aggravates Africaโs debt burden are completely wrong,โ he added.โThere is no market for sowing discord between Africa and China!โ Wang said, citing the unidentified African leaders.
China has defended the latest promise of financing for Africa, saying China is helping the continent develop, not pile up debt.
A wave of African nations seeking to restructure their debt with China has served as a reality check for Beijingโs ties with the continent, though most of its countries still see Chinese lending as the best bet to develop their economies.
Every African country attended the summit, with most sending their presidents, apart from eSwatini, self-ruled Taiwanโs last African ally that has so far rejected Chinaโs overtures to ditch Taipei and recognise Beijing.
