The Silk Road is 30,000 li, and a new journey is embarked on today.
In September, the Yajibouti Railway freight train, laden with strong coffee beans, travels from the Ethiopian plateau in the heart of East Africa through mountains, plains and deserts to the port of Djibouti, the easternmost point in Africa.
As early as the early 15th century, Zheng He visited the east coast of Africa four times during his voyage to the West, and the Maritime Silk Road witnessed the long history of Sino-African exchanges. More than 600 years later, the Asia-Kyrgyzstan Railway, a key cooperation project of the "Belt and Road" jointly built by China and Africa, runs through the East African plateau and paves the road to prosperity.
Like-minded people are not far from mountains and seas. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the "Belt and Road" initiative, the "true and sincere" policy concept on Africa and the correct concept of righteousness and benefit. Over the past 10 years, China and Africa have worked hand in hand, and the cooperation has yielded fruitful results and filled with fragrance.
Yaji Railway container trains assemble at Nagard Station in Djibouti. Photo courtesy of interviewee
The road to prosperity
"As soon as the train rings, ten thousand taels of gold." On September 16, in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, 28-year-old Faiza drove a train out of the Indode station of the Yaji Railway. Having never taken a train when he was a student, he can now drive the train independently across the Ethiopian plateau, transporting Ethiopian coffee beans, grains, granite and other specialties to the port of Djibouti for export exchange, and he is extremely proud in his heart.
The Yaji Railway assists the Ethiopian Government in transporting food. Photo courtesy of interviewee
Straddling Ethiopia and Djibouti, the 752.7-kilometer-long and 120-kilometer-per-hour Asia-Kyrgyzstan Railway is the continent's first transnational electrified railway and the longest electrified railway. It has reduced the freight time from Addis Ababa to Djibouti from 7 days to more than 10 hours by road.
"Safety, price and speed are the top factors for customers when choosing a shipping service." Samir, head of the marketing department of Yaji Railway, told reporters that Yaji Railway has helped customers save transportation costs, and its products will be more competitive in the market.
Yaji Railway is jointly built and operated by China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd. and China Railway Second Bureau Group Co., Ltd., and the whole project adopts a full set of Chinese standards, realizing the whole process of financing support, design standards, equipment procurement, construction and operation in China.
In the five years since its opening and operation, the Yaji Railway has sent a total of 7.43 million tons of goods and nearly 530,000 passengers, and its transportation revenue has maintained an average annual growth of more than 35%. Djibouti's "Nation" commented that the Asia-Kyrgyzstan railway to prosperity and development will not only boost the economy of Kyrgyzstan and Egypt, increase people-to-people exchanges, but also significantly strengthen regional economic integration. Hu Bin, Chinese Ambassador to Djibouti, said that China-Kyrgyzstan infrastructure cooperation projects, including the Yaji Railway, have provided great impetus for Djibouti to continue to move towards the realization of the "2035" vision.
The port of Lekki implements a 24/7 loading and unloading operation mechanism×. Photo courtesy of interviewee
Ethiopian coffee takes a train speed, Nigerian rubber goes to sea by boat. On September 14, a container ship from Shanghai, China, berthed at the port of Lekki and brought Chinese tires, raw materials from Southeast Asia, and returned with rubber and other materials. "In May this year, 10 containers of the company's cargo arrived at the port of Lekki and cleared and unloaded within seven days. Previously, it took about a month to pass through other ports. A manufacturer of daily chemical products in Lagos, Nigeria, introduced the logistics convenience brought by Lekki Port to reporters.
Located in the Lagos Free Trade Zone, Lekki Port is Nigeria's first modern deep-water port equipped with container quay bridges, developed by China Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd. and the Nigerian Ports Authority and others. At the opening ceremony, Lagos State Governor Babajid Sanguru said that "the Port of Lekki will make Lagos a maritime logistics center in Central and West Africa."
Pave roads and build ports to connect all directions. China supports Africa in taking infrastructure construction as a priority development direction for economic revitalization, and encourages and supports Chinese enterprises to adopt various modes to participate in Africa's infrastructure construction, investment, operation and management. Yaji Railway, Kenya Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, Congo (Brazzaville) National Highway 1, Port of Leki, Doharé Multifunctional Port of Djibouti, Lomé Container Terminal in Togo... A large number of flagship projects of the "Belt and Road" have become the "steel skeleton" supporting the African continent and played an important role in the process of regional connectivity and integration.
"In the past 20 years, the two sides have cooperated in building more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 1,000 bridges, hundreds of ports, and network services covering 700 million users in Africa," said Ambassador Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese mission to the African Union, which to a certain extent has solved the infrastructure bottleneck that has long constrained Africa's development.
"It means independence and self-determination." Opku, a founding member of Ghana's National Democratic Congress and a member of the National Political Council, commented on the civilian infrastructure brought to Africa by the Belt and Road Initiative.
Dongfang Industrial Park Huajia aluminum production workshop. Photo by People's Daily Reporter Zhao Yanhong
Garden of dreams
"I am grateful to Chinese companies for providing me with a stable job." In Duqam City, Oromia State, Ethiopia, female worker Melant told reporters that her income has increased fourfold during her five years in the Oriental Industrial Park.
Lida Garments, where Merant is located, is the largest jeans manufacturer in Ethiopia, and the whole industry chain from cotton-yarn-denim-jeans is set up in the park, which greatly promotes local employment. At the same time, its source material cotton is procured locally in Ethiopia, which solves the problem of importing materials due to the shortage of foreign exchange.
Drive about 16 kilometers southeast along the Addis Ababa-Adama Expressway, and the huge sign of the "Oriental Industrial Park" comes into view. The park is lined with factory buildings and trucks carrying raw materials and products. Founded by a Chinese private enterprise, the park is the first industrial park in Ethiopia, with a total planned area of 5 square kilometers, of which the first phase of 2.33 square kilometers has been completed.
Lu Qizhong, director of the Oriental Industrial Park, told reporters that there are currently more than 140 enterprises settled in the park, involving building materials, shoes and hats, textiles and garments, automobile assembly and metal processing and other industries, with a total of about 24,000 employees, of which about 1,200 are Chinese personnel, the rest are local employees, and 70% to 80% are female workers.
Ten years ago, Duqam was a small town with a population of only about 6,000. Nowadays, with the settlement of the Oriental Industrial Park, the population of the town has increased dozens of times. From the original grassland to the current densely populated town, Duqam has also been upgraded from a town to a city.
In June 2007, the Vostochny Industrial Park was listed by the Ethiopian government as an important priority in the country's "Industrial Development Plan". The construction and development of the park provides a practical reference for the implementation of the Ethiopian Industrial Park Law, and at the same time promotes the adjustment of relevant land laws and regulations in Ethiopia.
Lelis, director of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, said the Vostokia Industrial Park has attracted a lot of investment for Ethiopia. "This has boosted Ethiopia's economy and created more jobs for our people."
In Huajian Light Industrial City, shoemakers work on production lines. Photo by People's Daily Reporter Zhao Yanhong
"The Chinese master taught me professional skills and Chinese." In the Huajian Light Industrial City, also invested and founded by a Chinese private enterprise in Ethiopia, team leader Min Drey is checking the operation of the production line in the workshop. He graduated from Madawalab University, where he has been working for 8 years and currently manages 150 Ethiopian employees. "The shoes we produce can be exported to earn foreign exchange, which is very rewarding."
Nesting to attract phoenixes. Not only in Ethiopia, but also in African countries such as Mauritius, Nigeria and Zambia, the Chinese economic park can be seen. By the end of 2022, China's direct investment in Africa exceeded US$47 billion, making it the fourth largest source of investment in Africa, with more than 3,000 Chinese enterprises currently investing in Africa. Through cooperation with African countries to build economic and trade cooperation zones, special economic zones, industrial parks and science and technology parks, attract Chinese and other enterprises to invest in Africa, establish production and processing bases and carry out localized operations, increase local employment and tax revenue, promote industrial upgrading and technical cooperation, and continuously inject new momentum into Africa's industrialization process.
Baba Tuende, a researcher at the Nigerian Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, said bluntly, "China is a good partner for Africa in exploring the road of modernization and development."
Araucaria at Addis Ababa Friendship Square. Photo by People's Daily Reporter Zhao Yanhong
The Tree of Friendship
"Hello, welcome to Ethiopia!" At the Friendship Square at the foot of the Prime Minister's Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, locals greeted reporters with Chinese. On both sides of the podium in the shape of a horseshoe lotus flower, the lush and tall Araucaria trees attract a large number of tourists to take photos.
Friendship Square is an important part of China's aid to Ethiopia Riverside Green Development Project, and is a key project of the "Belt and Road" jointly built by China and Egypt, the first phase of which covers an area of 28.58 hectares. Previously, it was a garbage dump with a cross-flow of sewage, and after the construction of CCCC First Public Bureau Group, it was transformed into one of the most functional and largest urban comprehensive plazas in Africa in just 11 months.
"There are 76 of these Araucaria, symbolizing the 76 ethnic groups of Ethiopia." Zeyedi, an Ethiopian employee of CCCC First Public Bureau Group, touched one of the trees and told reporters, "This was given by an Ethiopian old man when the square was built."
"I see that the square you built is moving trees, there is an araucaria tree in my yard, I want to give it to you, go and move it now, I can plant another small one." Ethiopia lacks a professional greening seedling company, and when the search for trees in the square was in a bottleneck, an old man offered to give it away free of charge. The market price of this 12-meter-tall araucaria tree is about 20,000 yuan.
"The plaza that Chinese companies helped us build is fantastic." At a coffee shop not far from Araucaria, manager Debella told reporters what the square meant to locals. "I've lived in this neighborhood for 15 years. It turns out it's very bad here, it's full of garbage ... After the completion of the square, the environment is better, there are more tourists, and the income of nearby residents is also more. ”
The riverbank green development project has also led to increased tourism revenues, jobs, and environmental pollution and ecological degradation that have plagued Ethiopia for many years. Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan pointed out that the project is of great significance to enhance the image of Ethiopia, enrich the lives of the Ethiopian people, drive economic and social development, and continuously move towards modernization.
A couple with relatives and friends pose for a group photo at Addis Ababa Friendship Square. Photo by People's Daily Reporter Chen Xingxing
All things have their own life and nourishment. The Mongolia-Nairoh Railway, which was praised by foreign media as "satisfactory even to giraffes", is another example of China-Africa paying attention to protecting Africa's ecology in the process of jointly building the "Belt and Road".
Kenya is the fulcrum of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road connecting the East African region. The Mongolian Railway connects the Port of Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, with a total length of about 480 kilometers, and is the first railway built in Kenya since independence.
According to the migration path and activity habits of wild animals along the route, the Mongolian Railway has set up animal passages and bridge culverts in the wildlife park, and even giraffes can pass leisurely and calmly at a height of more than 7 meters. Railways pass through the air, animals continue to roam in nature, and people can watch from a distance.
Green is the background color of the sustainable development of the "Belt and Road". China has been actively supporting Africa's efforts to address climate change and seek green development. Following the green development actions in the "Eight Major Actions", the green development project was included as one of the "Nine Projects" in the first three-year plan of the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035. Under the green development project, the China-Africa Geoscience Cooperation Center was officially launched, the China-Africa Green Innovation Program was launched, and a number of renewable energy projects such as the Zongailu Hydropower Station in Nigeria and the Sakaee Photovoltaic Power Station in China-Africa undertaken by Chinese enterprises are progressing smoothly. The concept of "green water and green mountains are gold and silver mountains" has been repeatedly confirmed in the distant African continent.
Peter Kagwanga, director of the Kenya Africa Policy Institute, believes that China's infrastructure construction, as well as all developments within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, is striving to achieve harmonious coexistence with the natural ecology.
Nigerian Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center, Bruce and Chinese teacher Wang Xuemin walk in the field of hope. Photo by People's Daily Reporter Zhao Yanhong
Land of hope
"Looking at the operation of Chinese experts, I learned for the first time that fertilization is to accurately punch holes in the roots." In the early morning of early August, Bruce from Borno State, a Chinese-assisted Nigerian Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center in Abuja, observes how Chinese teacher Wang Xuemin grows seedlings. He taught his fellow villagers how to apply fertilizer and control pests in China, and successfully extended the fruiting time of chili seedlings, and the yield of the plot that originally produced 5 kg of peppers per season increased to 30 kg.
The confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers in Nigeria has watered thousands of miles of fertile soil along the two rivers. However, due to factors such as agricultural technology, the country still needs to import 2.2 million tons of rice every year, making it a net importer of food for 20 consecutive years.
The project of China's Agricultural Demonstration Center covers agricultural technology training center, agricultural technology research and development service center, small-scale agricultural product processing technology demonstration center, new energy water-saving irrigation facilities and related supporting facilities, etc., to help Nepal improve crop yield and agricultural modernization by fully demonstrating China's modern agricultural technology and carrying out exchange and cooperation projects. Cui Jianchun, China's ambassador to Nigeria, said that "the project is of great significance to agriculture and food security in Nigeria and the whole of Africa."
"It's to help the locals grow good food and feed themselves!" In October 2003, Wang Xuemin first came to Nigeria as a technician sent by the China-Nepal South-South Cooperation agricultural project, and has been working on the land for nearly 20 years.
In 2017, Wang Xuemin and his colleagues cooperated with domestic advanced breeding companies to develop a new rice variety suitable for Nigeria, with a yield increase of about 30% over the original local main variety. They dream of Nigeria becoming the "breadbasket of Africa"!
Small agro-processing workshop at the Nigerian Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centre. Photo by People's Daily Reporter Zhao Yanhong
It was also in 2017 that China's four ministries and commissions jointly issued the Vision and Actions for Jointly Promoting Agricultural Cooperation in the Construction of the "Belt and Road", which clarified the framework ideas and cooperation priorities for promoting international cooperation in agriculture, and further strengthened the "Belt and Road" agricultural cooperation has a top-level design.
Teach people to fish. China actively shares agricultural development experience and technology with Africa, supports African countries in improving agricultural production and processing, and promotes the construction of agricultural industrial chains and trade development. Like Wang Xuemin, Chinese agricultural experts have spread hope all over Africa. According to the white paper "China-Africa Cooperation in the New Era" released by the State Council Information Office in November 2021, since 2012, China has trained more than 50,000 local African people and built 23 agricultural demonstration centers through projects such as 100 agricultural experts and agricultural experts in Africa.
In Madagascar, hybrid rice varieties imported from Hunan, China, not only feed local farmers, but also sell surplus grain. In Rwanda, training in fungus techniques for environmentally friendly agricultural projects is very popular, which not only helps solve food source and livelihood problems, but also protects slopes and soil and prevents soil erosion.
By the end of 2020, China had invested more than 200 non-agricultural enterprises, involving 35 African countries, with an investment stock of US$1.11 billion, covering planting, breeding and agricultural product processing and other industries, and more than 350 African agricultural products and foods could be traded with China, and China-Africa agricultural trade was growing steadily.
AU Representative to China Osman commented that cooperation between Africa and China is effectively promoting the inclusive agricultural transformation of African countries.
Go fast alone, go far together. 10 years, hand in hand to build dreams! 10 years, painted brilliant!
Up to now, 52 African countries and the African Union Commission have signed cooperation documents on the Belt and Road with China. "Africa, what some Western economists call a 'hopeless continent,' is now at the forefront of development through China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative." Dennis Munet, executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute, said.
The tide is flat and the shores are wide, and the wind is sailing. Looking forward to the next 10 years, China-Africa high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" will surely take advantage of the momentum and promote China-Africa relations towards a better future!