The China-led peace summit for the Horn of Africa (HOA) held earlier in June vowed to support regional development.
China's envoy to the HOA Xue Bing says that China would continue to help promote the integration of economy and support regional countries in the construction of infrastructure in the HOA.
Xue said ealier that China’s outlook on peace and development for the HOA focused on Africa’s reality and aimed at helping countries in the region.
“China will continue to support countries in the region to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. To protect regional peace and security, and silence the guns in the Horn of Africa.”
Xue says that China would also continue to work with regional countries in countering terrorism to ensure sustainable security and development in HOA.
"I am ready to provide mediation efforts for the peaceful settlement of disputes based on the will of countries in this region.”
China-Africa relations have been of particular interest to observers with concerns over China’s growing influence on the African continent.
According to analysis, the exploitative manner in which China acquires African state-owned assets and the growing debt African nations owe China are reaching high levels.
China has been a trade partner in Africa for a longtime, but this is the first time it shows clear interference in the African politics.
National security adviser to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Redwan Hussein, called for joint efforts of BRICS at the conference to deal with the impact of conflicts, droughts and COVID-19.
“The people of the region have suffered enough, and it’s incumbent upon us to resort to a civilized, mature way of addressing our difficulties and differences.”
Total trade between China and Africa in 2021 reached $254.3 billion, up 35.3 percent according to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs of China.
China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years, during which China created 18,562 jobs a year, according to a report by Swiss-African Business Circle.
