China vows to work on Africa’s satellite and space

CHINA: President Xi Jinping said China and Africa will work together on nuclear technology and space exploration, telling a summit in Beijing on Thursday that no country should be left behind on the road to modernisation. “We will create a China-Africa platform on the peaceful use of nuclear technology, set up 30 joint laboratories and cooperate on satellite remote-sensing and lunar and deep space exploration,” Xi said in his opening speech at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. “On the road to modernisation, no one and no country should be left behind,” he added. Space exploration may not be a priority for African countries struggling with issues such as poverty, famine, disease and access to clean water and electricity. But Xi argued that building a modern and prosperous Africa would require more than aid and new infrastructure. He said a stable environment for development would also require more science and technology education, more skilled workers and research.

Xi told dozens of African leaders at the summit that China will help achieve this goal by building an engineering technology academy, establishing research collaborations on nuclear technology, satellite navigation and other fields, and forming alliances for innovation in agriculture. “China is ready to launch 30 clean energy projects in Africa, set up meteorological early warning systems, and cooperate on disaster prevention, mitigation and relief, as well as biodiversity conservation,” Xi said. In addition, he said China would help African countries expand their agricultural industries and improve their public health systems – including by investing in drug production and building medical centers. “All this is designed to help Africa achieve green growth,” Xi said. The African Union’s development plan – known as Agenda 2063 – includes goals to reduce poverty, increase agriculture and renewable energy production, and build the economy. Xi said the modernization of China and Africa is important to the whole world. “China and Africa represent a third of the world’s population. There will be no global modernisation without our modernisation,” he said.