NEWS- The Vice President Major Jessica Alupo Epel has today held a meeting with the Vice President of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Han Zheng, at Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing and their meeting centered on industrialization, infrastructure and digitization.
Vice President Alupo arrived in Beijing, China yesterday for the Heads of State Summit on the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation where she was received at Beijing Capital Airport by the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda and Uganda Minister for Foreign Affairs Gen Jeje Odongo.
Uganda’s Vice President Jessica Alupo is in China to represent President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit which gets underway on Wednesday.
This ninth gathering is expected to provide a framework for navigating China’s evolving strategic partnership with the continent in the post-Covid 19 era and it is taking place at a time of rising geopolitical tension that will see China prioritise its position in relation to other world powers.
According to the organisers, climate change and energy are expected to be among the key topics for negotiation between Chinese and African stakeholders while other discussions will also focus on digital and technology cooperation in a bid to close Africa’s digital divide.
In the past, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has yielded notable financial commitments for projects spanning infrastructure, agriculture, and manufacturing, however, experts warn that African countries should use the summit to foster cooperation that is both sustainable and mutually beneficial.
China has been intensifying its efforts to strengthen ties with the Global South especially in Africa and analysts views these relationships not just as economic opportunities but as crucial to its own broader geopolitical goals as investments do not always align with the recipient countries’ needs and development priorities, but are also associated with high debt burdens.
Analysts suggest African countries need to rethink the future direction of the partnership with China, saying that, if approached correctly, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation could foster a new era of cooperation that is both sustainable and mutually beneficial.
