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Session 2 Keynote presentations
The Africa Perspective on the kinds of development partnerships China is forming in Africa Firoze Manji1 and Sanusha Naidu2 In 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao visited ten African countries to promote China-Africa relations. In November of the same year, African heads of state met in Beijing at FOCAC to learn of a massive Chinese package of aid and assistance, including preferential loans, cancellation of debts, and numerous other initiatives. Western newspapers (and many African newspapers that take their lead from the West), politicians and academics became hysterical about the intentions of China in Africa. Phrases such as the 'new scramble for Africa', 'voracious', 'ravenous' or 'insatiable' 'appetite for natural resources' became typical descriptors used to characterize China's engagement with Africa. Yet when US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton went to earn her African air miles in Africa in August 2009, not one newspaper, magazine or academic paper described her adventure in those terms. Instead her visit was described in anodyne phrases about the supposed benefits of US's benign influence in Africa, its supposed mission to bring 'development' and 'security' to the continent. Download the whole text here: FirozeManji-English.pdf
The Chinese Perspective on Development Partnership between China and Africa Dr. He Wenping Professor, Director of African Studies Section of Institute of West Asian & African Studies,Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Outline ♦ Foreword: Policy evolution and features ♦ The Role of China's Aid on African Development ♦ The Role of China's Aid on International concern on Africa ♦ Development implication of China's experience ♦ Engage "old" and "new" donors Download the whole text here: He Wenping-English.pdf
DAC and Aid Partnerships Pierre Jacquet French Development Agency (AFD) and POVNET (OECD-DAC) China-DAC Study Group Event Beijing, 28-29 October 2009 Early milestones in Donor Coordination --Historical beginnings of aid : development actions of colonial powers in overseas territories - institutions for economic cooperation created after WWII - US (1947) Marshall Plan and (1949) "point four" programme. --1960 : establishment of the Development Assistance Group (DAG) as a forum for consultations. --1961 : Resolution on "Common Aid Effort" - DAG replaced by DAC, within OECD. --At the time, US represents 40% of total ODA, France and the UK one third. --Issue : equitable sharing of the aid effort; coordination of the common aid effort. --There is a "common" good aspect to international aid: it is in the collective interest to promote successful development across the world, both for economic and political reasons. Hence, the question of who contributes to that common goal and how is high on the agenda of donor discussions. Download the whole text here:Pierre Jacquet-English.pdf
Edward K Brown The Main Areas Provided for Discussion in the Agenda Included the Following --How China's aid and investment is integrated into national development strategies and long-term development plans. --How do Chinese firms create value chain linkages and promote competitiveness of African Firms --How does China-Africa cooperation promote use of local content in trade and investment agreements, local employment and skills development --How do China-Africa partnershio align with local and international best practices related to environment and social practices --What are some of the emerging directions in China-Africa relationships
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