Written by EDITH MUTETHYA, Nairobi, Kenya | China Daily Global | Updated: 2024-10-10 09:18
A freight train seen at Nairobi Station of the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, on November 17, 2021 (Photo/Xinhua)
Since China has pledged to basically achieve socialist modernization by 2035, as resolved at the Third Plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, African experts are The view is that the modernization of major powers is important for Africa.
Carlos Lopez, professor emeritus at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town, said China’s modernization represented a blueprint that could inspire Africa’s own development trajectory.
He said China’s remarkable rise, particularly in terms of industrialization, infrastructure development and poverty reduction, offers valuable lessons for African countries that have long been marginalized in global value chains and confined to the colonial model of commodity exporters. He said that
China’s modernization demonstrates the importance of long-term strategic planning and the emphasis on infrastructure as the basis for economic growth, he said.
He said China’s development differs from the traditional Western development paradigm and offers Africa “an alternative model that emphasizes autonomy and partnership on a more level playing field.”
Lopez said African countries need to be strategic in their engagement with China to reap the maximum benefits from China’s modernization policies.
He said there is a need to focus on aligning national development plans with key areas where China excels, such as infrastructure, manufacturing and technology transfer.
“Clear regulatory frameworks, stronger institutions and coherent policies are key to managing these complex relationships and ensuring that Africa’s industrialization ambitions are aligned with China’s modernization agenda,” he said. Probably.”
He said one of the key lessons the continent can learn from China regarding modernization is the importance of development-oriented governments.
“It’s not a coincidence.”
China’s success was no accident, he said. It included a well-coordinated industrial policy, long-term planning, and the creation of special economic zones to attract foreign investment.
Mr López said this could be replicated in Africa by focusing on strategic sectors and ensuring alignment between government policies, private sector efforts and regional integration efforts.
“Africa should embrace China’s approach of leveraging global value chains while gradually improving its industrial capabilities,” he said.
“The need for a sequential policy, as has been pointed out in the African development debate, is also a key point: moving from raw material production to higher value-added manufacturing over time.”
Kenyan international relations expert Cavins Adhia said China’s modernization is important for Africa because strengthening China’s economy means having a strong partner to support its development plans, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063. said it was important.
As China aims to fully modernize, partnerships with Africa are equally valuable in areas that China is currently targeting, especially high-end innovation-driven industries using technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing. He said it could lead to. , Robotics and Space Sciences.
He said China is also a strong learning point for African countries in promoting socio-economic transformation, including economic management and poverty alleviation.
Another important lesson is how China views its national development priorities, allocates resources, and puts in place a strong monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure program implementation. It is.
Justus Tuti Wanjiru, director of the African Policy Research Institute’s Corporate Center, said China is willing to share the concept of modernization with Africa, and this is a great opportunity for the continent.
He said, “China values development based on its own potential. It should not borrow things that are not suitable for its own society. African countries should also study what is suitable for them and what will work.” ” he said.
