欧美文化:China's green energy projects to boost development in Africa: German media

BERLIN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Clean energy projects are becoming increasingly pivotal in China-Africa economic relations, as trade between the two sides has seen consistent growth over the past two decades, said a report by German media Deutsche Welle.

During the recent 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China announced plans to implement 30 clean energy projects in Africa to support the continent's green development. Additionally, China will provide a further 360 billion yuan (50.8 billion U.S. dollars) of financial support for African countries over the next three years.

These initiatives are expected to generate at least 1 million new jobs, said the German report titled "China eyes bolstering green energy ties with Africa."

The report highlighted that trade between China and Africa has grown at an average rate of 17.2 percent annually since the start of the century. In the first seven months of 2024, the trade volume has reached a record high of 1.19 trillion yuan (about 168 billion U.S. dollars).

Green energy stands out as one of the highlights of the future China-Africa partnership. Africa will play an important role in China's green supply chain, while the continent's need for a green transition will have a significant impact on bilateral ties, Christian-Geraud Neema, a China researcher from Mauritius who has studied and worked in China for a decade, was quoted as saying.

Neema noted that Chinese green products like solar panels and electric cars are very popular and have great prospects in Africa, as many regions there face energy shortages which hinder economic growth, especially industrial development. "We are therefore looking forward to new green solutions from China," he said.

The Chinese government has completed several hundred solar, wind and hydro energy projects in Africa. Although Africa accounts for only a fraction of global renewable energy capacity, the pace of its growth is impressive. In 2023, the continent's installed solar power capacity increased by 19 percent, the report noted.

Chinese green products are facing growing challenges in accessing U.S. and European markets due to tariff barriers, Lina Benabdallah, an expert on China-Africa relations at the Wake Forest University in the United States, was quoted as saying in the report.

"It's quite ironic that a few years ago, Western countries were still accusing China of having done too little for green energy. But now they say the Chinese are doing too much," said Benabdallah.