Interview with Chinese FM Hon.Yang Jiechi

By China Radio International （CRI） and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation（KBC）

January 08, 2010 in Nairobi

Question 1. Hon. Minister Yang, on behalf of China Radio International, I would like to convey our sincere thanks for accepting this interview. We really feel honored for that. Mr. Minister I do believe that there is a very good relationship between China and Africa and that is why you have chosen Africa as the first continent to visit in the beginning of this New Year. Hon Minister, what's your comment on the existing relationship between China and Africa?

Minister: Well its my great pleasure to give this interview to Cri and KBC and first of all on behalf of Chinese foreign ministry I would like to express my warm new year greetings to the people of Kenya and to the African people. It has been our tradition of the Chinese foreign ministers to make Africa the first destination as a visit abroad and I'm the foreign minister who is making this trip to Africa this year. I believe that our relationship with Africa is growing from strength to strength. Politically we have maintained high level visits both way and we have deepened strategic trust between China and Africa economically. Economically there has been a lot of trade going on and what's more important there is more mutual investment both way and culturally I think there has been a cultural inter-flow between the two sides. On the most important international issues, the global issues for instance how to deal with climate change and how to deal with international financial crisis there is a lot of common language between the Chinese and the Africans, so this relationship is full of promise but there is still a great deal potential to be tapped so I'm here to further deepen the strategic partnership between China and Africa. There is a lot that we can do together particularly against the background of the announcement of a new eight point measure to support the social and economic development here in Africa by the forth China-Africa cooperation forum ministerial meeting which was held not too long in Egypt.

Question 2. And how will China further the win-win cooperation with Africa as the new world order continues taking shape?

Minister: Well I think the economies, I mean the Chinese and African economies are really caring for each other and we can compliment each other in many different ways for instance there are many projects which are needed on the African continent for instance how to build the infrastructure and how to improve the medical care here and how to improve the agriculture so in this eight point measure efforts we are trying to improve the living standard of the African countries for African people. It is a really many thought out efforts we have to adopt it at least three dimensional approach in the Africa for instance we are going to establish according to this new eight point plan measure 20 agro- technic centers and there will be at about 50 Chinese aid teams sent to Africa during the next 3 years to help with Agriculture, there would be quite a few Chinese Agriculture experts coming this way and we will have to train about 2,000 people in that area from Africa and we will have to build up infrastructure, in my view its very important to build the infrastructure here. For instance I heard from certain foreign minister from southern Africa and she told me that she want fly from her country to Cairo, she had to fly to go all the way to Paris then to Dubai and then to Egypt so this think should be changed and the railway system, the highway system need to be further improved and this will help to improve inter regional trade and I think china is in a position to do that. And when it comes to cooperation in the area of natural resources, mineral resources and so on, I think its win-win solution because African countries need to translate their latent advantage to real advantage in their development and Chinese companies can be helpful besides Chinese government encourages our companies to do as much as possible socially in the areas where they operate so I believe that the cooperation has made a very good start and the new year progress well for our cooperation.

Question 3. As we know your Honorable, this is your first official visit to Kenya since you took up the post of Minister for Foreign Affairs of China. Could you please tell our listeners what has impressed you, and what are your comments on the relationship between China and Kenya? Also could you tell us the achievements you have made during this official visit to Kenya?

Minister: Well this is my first visit to your country, Kenya but I was here 2006 with our president and I was in the official party he was paying his state visit to the country and that visit was a great success. On that Occasion president Hu Jintao and president Kibaki reached a consensus that is we must build a relationship between our two countries characterized by long-time stability, mutual benefit and friendly cooperation system. Our relationship has actually witnessed accelerated development in various fields. This is my first visit to your country as Chinese foreign minister and I have been longing to make this visit and I was attracted by the hospitality of the Kenyan people and there are very dynamic development of the country and the warm feelings of the Kenyan people towards the Chinese people. I believe that my visit has achieved its purpose throughout our joint efforts I called upon the president, the prime minister and I had a very good discussion with the foreign minister and we reached a consensus on how to further our relationship both bilateral and in the international arena.

We welcome Kenyan leaders and friends to come and participate in the Shanghai World Expo this years. We believe that it is very important for us to maintain a constant stream of visits both ways at high level in different fields.

We believe that our cooperation in economic filed is composed of three parts; this is aid and the second is traditional trade and the third is investment and I think things are going on well on the three fronts quite a few projects have been completed some are still underway. We are helping to upgrading your sports stadium, to build schools and hospitals here and we have been engaged in road construction and other infrastructure projects. I believe that these projects are all mutually beneficial. We hope to be helpful in economic development of this country.

In my talks with your leader the foreign affairs minister we have come to the conclusion that politically we have to further strengthen our political ties and deepen our strategic mutual trust and economically we have to use even more imagination and tap more economic potential from economic cooperation. Of course many Chinese companies are very much interested in making investment in this country and the Chinese government is encouraging them to do so. On the other hand we do hope that Kenya will offer them even more opportunities we are very good discussion I that respect. Culturally this is a country very rich in cultural heritage. I have told your leadership that China pledged to increase the number of china funded scholarships for Kenyan students. We are also very glad for the establishment of the first Confucius institute and there will be a second one so I believe that there is a lot that we can do together. On such issues like dealing with climate change food security, energy security how to deal with the international financial crisis, there is a lot of common language between our two peoples so we have to work hard in a concerted manner to protect the interest of China and Kenya for that matter in the interest of the great many od developing countries.

Question 4. Going back to the eight point plan which was announced by the Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in Egypt; Why did you announce and how do you intend to implement the eight point plan?

Minister: Well that leads me to the top deck of the China- Africa cooperation forum which was established in the year 2000 and it has really become a kind of banner for leading the cooperation between china and African countries.

I must point out the highlight of this cooperation i.e. the China Africa cooperation summit which was held in Beijing in the year 2006 our President Hu Jintao announce an eight point measure and in the last few years solid steps have been taken to carry out our commitment and many projects have been successfully completed others are being undertaken and they will be completed very soon so the announcement by our prime minister Wen Jiabao; the eight point measure support for social and economic development in Africa is really a big fallout action upon the previous announcement. I believe the focus is on improving the livelihoods of the African people; for instance there will be concessional loans and preferential credits to the amount of about 10 billion US Dollars and I hope that the Kenyan side and other countries in Africa will find useful projects to be undertaken under this title. We do hope that this new package will bring bountiful benefits to the African people and this is a multi dimension effort and it has to be successful through a joint endeavour.

Question 5. Currently the world is facing so many challenges about climate change financial crisis which modalities does China intend to use in terms of cooperating with African countries to tackle such challenges.

Minister: I believe that like China, Africa is also victim of the international financial crisis, and the climate change Africa has suffered a great deal, for instance because of the impact of the international financial crisis African countries find it rather difficult to sell their products in the international markets to reasonable price and some countries have reduced their aid package to Africa.

Because of global warming has suffered particularly its agriculture and so on. So I believe that the developing countries including china and African countries need to work together for instance we believe that the United Nations shall undertake more responsibilities in the fields of social and economic development we believe that the G-20 countries should reflect the desire and the needs of the African countries and there should be some solid steps taken by the G-20 to address the issues, the difficulties of the African countries. Another thing is the climate change and we believe that developing countries need to make further joint efforts to make sure that the meeting to be taking place in Mexico following the Copenhagen conference will do more to help address the problems caused by climate change for African countries. We believe that developed countries need to carry out their commitment they need to furnish developing countries and especially African countries with more aid in terms of equipment technology and fund, so there is a lot that china and African countries should do together.

CRI Presenter : Thanks Mr. Minister! On behalf of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and China Radio International I want to wish the best of luck in your next official visits in Africa.

Minister: I would like to say that when I first came here in 2006 CRI had enthusiastic listeners and I do hope that you will even make greater progress in future and I hope that CRI will serve a more effective bridge between the Chinese and the Kenyan people and I hope that KBC will also be a very good bridge linking our two people together.