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Morley, David - The Cambridge introduction to creative writing (2011) - libgen.li
| China’s Africa Policy” On January 12, 2006, the Chinese government issued “China’s Africa Policy.” The occasion was the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Arab Republic of Egypt, the first such agreement among the countries of the African continent. The policy’s purpose is to further promote the steady growth of Chinese-African relations in the long term, and bring the mutually beneficial cooperation to anew stage. There- lease of the document demonstrates the growing interest of China in Africa and Africa’s important role in supporting China’s economic growth in the future. In fact, productive and strong relations are of critical importance to both China and Africa. Among Africa’s 53 countries, 47 have established diplomatic ties with China, and trade between Africa and China had grown to an estimated billion in 2005. “China’s Africa Policy is in keeping with China’s general foreign policy, which is guided by the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.” a In addition, the document sets forth guidelines for future cooperation in the areas of politics, economy, cultural exchange, and security, which are summarized as follows Political cooperation China will continue to encourage dialogue and exchange with African governments through national executive and legislative bodies and regional gatherings, and support international mechanisms for increased cooperation such as the United Nations Economic cooperation China will grant duty-free treatment to as yet unspecified exports from the least developed African countries, and will generally facilitate the access of African goods to the Chinese market. In support of outward investment, China will continue to provide preferential loans and buyer credits to encourage Chinese firms to invest in Africa. Moreover, China will expand its economic cooperation with Africa, especially in financial services, agribusiness, infrastructure, tourism, and re- source-based sectors (oil, mining, forestry, and so forth. China also pledged to work to resolve or reduce the debts owed by some African countries, both to China and to the broader international community. ( Continues on the following page.) 03-Chap3:03-Chap3 10/10/06 10:08 AM Page 171 172 AFRICA ’ S SILK ROAD : CHINA AND INDIA ’ S NEW ECONOMIC FRONTIER The short-run benefits and costs of any African-Asian FTAs that materialize will depend, in part, on current tariff schedules and, because these vary by sector, so would the benefits and costs. Asian countries, with the exception of India, stand to lose less in the short run than do the African countries because they have comparatively low tariffs on many of their largest import items already. African countries, on the other hand, have comparatively high tariffs on their major imports, such as textiles, apparel, and footwear. All other things equal, then, in the short run, an FTA with Asia could pose significant losses to the African textile and apparel industries. BOX 3.6 Download 5.17 Mb. Share with your friends:
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