Nairobi, June 8th, Xinhua News Agency (Xinhua) – Born from the Sea – China and Africa Join Hands towards Deep Blue
Although China and the African continent are far apart, the ocean has brought them closer together. With the advancement of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the blue economic cooperation between China and Africa has taken advantage of the situation, continuously deepened, and achieved fruitful results.
The African continent is surrounded by the sea on all sides, with lakes and rivers scattered throughout. Against the backdrop of vigorously developing the marine economy in African countries, Africa urgently needs to address issues such as talent scarcity, insufficient funding, and outdated fishing infrastructure; China is in a dominant position globally in areas such as marine fisheries, shipbuilding industry, and port construction. The blue economic cooperation between China and Africa is mutually beneficial and timely.
This is a drone photo taken on March 1, 2024 at Port Laki in Lagos, Nigeria. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Han Xu
Little silver fish is well fed and well clothed
At midnight, a wooden fishing boat stopped near the sea, using several lure lights to attract a school of fish and cast a net. As the sky gradually brightens, fishermen begin to collect their nets and return with a full load or even a slight harvest. Fishing boats will return to the port as scheduled and hand over the fish preserved in ice to factory employees on the shore.
This is the daily routine of Mohammad Chamila. Over the past 37 years, Chamilla has only done one thing – fishing for anchovies in the town of Shimoni in Kwalay County, Kenya. In the eyes of locals, this silver fish is rich in various vitamins and is quite popular.
Before 9 o’clock in the morning, buckets of frozen anchovy were delivered to a nearby factory. After cleaning, processing, drying, and picking, the workers put the qualified small fish into the cold storage for storage, waiting to be transported to China for processing into delicious dried small fish.
“Two years ago, I established a partnership with a Chinese company. They provided fishing technology and new fishing gear, and I mobilized other fishermen to go deep into the sea to harvest more anchovy.” Chamilla was grateful for this, as he relied on fishing to support his eight children and his cooperation with the Chinese company changed his long life of financial hardship.
After Kenya’s wild aquatic products were approved for export to China in 2022, a Chinese company transported over 300 kilograms of wild anchovy from Kenya to Changsha to participate in the third China Africa Economic and Trade Expo in 2023, marking the beginning of Kenya’s export of wild aquatic products to China.
Abdullah started fishing at the age of 15, but relying on roadside sales did not bring stable income. After cooperating with a Chinese company, Dula’s catch is no longer a concern for sales, and the Chinese company will accept all orders.
China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of aquatic products. In recent years, China has engaged in fisheries cooperation with nearly 20 African countries, with an annual production of approximately 300000 tons of related products. According to data from the African Union, it is expected that the size of Africa’s blue economy will increase to $405 billion by 2030.
On June 22, 2023, fishermen were fishing in the eastern coastal area of Kenya. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Guansen
Shared weal and woe towards deep blue
Teaching people to fish is better than teaching them to fish. At the China Africa Leaders’ Dialogue held in South Africa in August 2023, China proposed to implement the “China Assistance Plan for Agricultural Modernization in Africa”, to promote exchanges and cooperation in areas such as fisheries, nearshore aquaculture, and marine biotechnology products, and to assist in the modernization of African agriculture.
At the Uganda Aquatic Research and Development Center in the suburbs of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, Chinese aquatic expert Chen Taihua is squatting by the pond to check the condition of fish fry, while a local employee proficiently feeds feed. The Uganda Aquatic Research and Development Center is a demonstration base for the South South Cooperation Project between China, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and Uganda (Phase III). The drainage and irrigation system of the fishing grounds here is constructed using Chinese technology.
In November 2022, Chen Taihua and 9 other Chinese agricultural experts arrived in Uganda to carry out a three-year agricultural technology cooperation mission. Local fishermen mainly raise bearded catfish, tilapia, and mirror carp. Due to lack of understanding of biological characteristics and lack of sales channels, their initial enthusiasm for technical cooperation was not high.
The Chinese expert team tailored measures to local conditions and established a rice field fish farming demonstration pool with an area of 1215 square meters, releasing 670 bearded catfish. Combined with practical techniques such as the feeding method of fish farming in the pond, it not only reduces the cost of rice pest control, but also increases the income of aquatic products, gradually gaining local recognition.
As of March this year, Chen Taihua’s team has conducted training in pond aquaculture, rice fish farming, and market sales in 10 regions of Uganda, with a total of 428 people participating and benefiting.
Madagascar, located in the southwestern waters of the Indian Ocean, is a world-renowned shrimp farm, and its foreign exchange income mainly relies on the export of fish and aquaculture products. In 2009, China National Aquatic Products (Group) Corporation entered the Madagascar fishing market by acquiring a poorly managed fishing company and maintained profitability for many years, with a localization rate of over 90%.
“I applied for a job in 2015, and my salary was very good. I can also support my parents. During my work, I received the opportunity to pursue further studies sponsored by the company and have obtained a master’s degree in management.” Anisa, an accountant at China National Water Corporation’s Madagascar Fisheries Company, told reporters that she not only achieved success in her career, but also met a seafarer husband from the same company while working and started a family.
The Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Madagascar, Bobel Mahatantai, stated that the blue economy is an important opportunity to promote the economic development of Madagascar. Welcome to work together with partners including China to promote the development of domestic fisheries.
A hundred rivers return to the sea and gather in one bay
While technological exchanges and cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture continue to deepen, the shipping and logistics of ports in China and Africa are further streamlined. The ocean connects the four seas and blends the world. Port construction is the foundation of maritime transportation, where ships loaded with goods dock and set sail.
Jamestown on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic is a traditional fishing community in Accra, the capital of Ghana. For hundreds of years, this area has been one of the poorest in the local area, and the dilapidated old fishing port facilities have hindered the further development of the local fishing industry. In August 2020, China officially broke ground on the construction of a comprehensive facility project for Ghana’s fishing port, which inspired thousands of residents.
A fully functional dock, a spacious and bright fish market… After more than three years of construction, a modern fishing port has been completed. After being handed over to Canada and officially put into use, it will become a complex that integrates functions such as fishermen berthing and unloading fish, fishing boat maintenance, aquatic product storage, trading, production and processing.
Jamestown resident Paul Ouosu couldn’t conceal his joy: “We can’t wait to see the fishing port put into use. It will completely improve the working environment and living standards of fishermen, and also bring about a huge change in the overall appearance of the Jamestown community.”
In 2016, China Road and Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd. completed the expansion and renovation project of Bata Old Port, which is one of the largest single super projects in Equatorial Guinea since its founding; In 2023, the first modern large-scale fishing port in Tanzania, the Kilois Fishing Port project, constructed by a Chinese port, laid the foundation. As the flagship project of the third five-year plan of the Tanzanian government, it is expected to become an important lever to activate its new economic growth point; In 2024, the Nigerian port of Leki, developed by Chinese enterprises, welcomed the largest cargo ship in history, and the dream of embracing large container ships at Nigerian ports became a reality.
Take the wind as your faith and rise towards the sea. The ports constructed by Chinese enterprises are like bridges, guiding scattered African countries towards regional coordinated development. Deep water boating allows bulk cargo to reach various parts of the world, and modern ports are like pearls embedded in the long coastline of Africa, shining on the Silk Road and connecting China and Africa with a shared destiny.
Abdullah Hamis Ulega, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries of Tanzania, stated that China not only provides strong support in the construction of fishing ports, but also provides valuable assistance in agriculture and fishery technology. By introducing advanced technology and equipment, agricultural and fishery production in African countries has significantly increased, and people’s income has also significantly increased.
In recent years, China has put forward the “the Belt and Road” Maritime Cooperation Vision, the “Blue Partnership Principle”, the “the Belt and Road” blue cooperation initiative and other documents. China and Africa have formed a blue partnership, and the mechanism and platform for blue economic cooperation between China and Africa are constantly developing in multiple fields, all-round and deep-seated directions. “I believe that with joint efforts, China and Africa will continue to work together to achieve common prosperity in the vast ocean,” said Ulaiga. (Author: Yan Ran; Participating Journalists: Yang Zhen, Zhou Chuyun, Xu Zheng, Nie Guoguo, Ling Xin, Hua Hongli, Li Zhuoqun)
On June 22, 2023, staff dried anchovy in the town of Shimoni, Kwalay County, Kenya. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Guansen
On June 23, 2023, in Shimoni Town, Kwalay County, Kenya, workers loaded dried anchovy exported to China. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Guansen
On December 21, 2022, at the Uganda Aquatic Research and Development Center on the outskirts of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, Chinese aquatic expert Chen Taihua (right) exchanged ideas with local employees. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Ajara Navada)
On December 21, 2022, local employees took care of fish fry at the Uganda Aquatic Research and Development Center on the outskirts of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Ajara Navada)
This is a pond taken at the Uganda Aquatic Research and Development Center on the outskirts of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on December 21, 2022. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Ajara Navada)
This is a photo taken on June 3, 2024 in Accra, the capital of Ghana, of China’s aid in the construction of Ghana’s fishing port comprehensive facilities project. Shen Jizhong
This is a photo taken on June 3, 2024 in Accra, the capital of Ghana, of China’s aid in the construction of Ghana’s fishing port comprehensive facilities project. Shen Jizhong
This is a photo taken on June 15, 2023 at the Port of Bata in Equatorial Guinea. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui
On June 15, 2023, a cargo ship docked at the Port of Bata in Equatorial Guinea. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui
On January 29, 2024, a large container freighter belonging to the French shipping group Dafay slowly docked at the port of Laiki in Lagos, Nigeria. Xinhua Social Development (provided by Laiji Port Company)