African leaders attend 3rd Belt and Road Forum in Beijing

Some 130 leaders from Africa and other world’s regions have gathered in China for a two-day meeting organized by the Chinese government that marks the 10th anniversary of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The summit that kicked off on Tuesday (17 October) is the third BRI Forum for international cooperation. Launched a decade ago, under the initiative, a signature policy of President Xi Jinping, Chinese companies have built infrastructures including ports, roads and power plants around the world in a bid to boost trade and economic growth. Fast forward ten years and some point out that the BRI may be losing steam as Beijing becomes more averse to risk and as the domestic economy struggles to bounce back to pre-pandemic growth levels. China’s BRI came at the “right time” for boosting Africa’s development, Albert Muchanga, head of trade and industry for the African Union Commission, has said, as he played down concerns that it was a debt trap for poor countries.
The BRI meeting in Beijing has attracted many African leaders, including the Congolese president, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the vice-president of Nigeria. Among other leaders attending the summit was Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema who met with his Chinese counterpart — they committed to enhancing trade cooperation between both countries, announcing they would elevate the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Kenyan President William Ruto intends to use his visit to Beijing to ask China for a $1 billion loan and a debt repayment restructuring plan, the country’s vice-president has said. Ethiopia’s PM, meanwhile, described China as his country’s most trustworthy partner and friend, saying he appreciated Beijing’s long-time strong support for his country’s economic and social development.