CHINESE AID HELPS PUT AFRICAN NATIONS ON TRACK

　　

　　Rail line just one of numerous assistance projects

　　

　　As the afternoon wore on, the crowd at the railway station in the Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam kept swelling. Loudspeakers mounted in the waiting room continued to announce new departure times.

　　Asha Maimuna, a middle-aged passenger, noted wryly: "Our safe arrival is important, not really the departure time."

　　She was traveling to Mbeya, a trip of 813 kilometers, to visit her parents. Some roads are impassable, she said, and journeys overland are prone to accidents.

　　"The Makuba Express train is a necessity for many of us, despite the long delays and sluggish speed," Maimuna said.

　　The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority, or TAZARA, has been a lifeline for landlocked Zambia, creating innumerable job opportunities for the two countries as the line snakes 1,860 km from Dar es Salaam to the copper town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. It is one of China's efforts to aid developing countries.

　　A white paper－The Right to Development: China's Philosophy, Practice and Contribution－which was released in December 2016, said China had provided some 400 billion yuan (about $56 billion) in development aid to 166 countries and international organizations over the past 60 years.

　　It has trained more than 12 million personnel from developing countries and sent around 600,000 people to assist in the development in other nations. Of those, 700 have given their lives, the white paper said.

　　Assistance from China has made a significant contribution to improving the lives of those in the recipient countries.

　　For the past 43 years, Boniface Zimba has been taking the line operated by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority to visit his family in rural Zambia.

　　Sometimes, the 79-year-old runs into former workers from the authority, which he left 24 years ago. They always discuss how the China-built railway has boosted the economy and changed their lives.

　　"We were proud to build it," Zimba said. He left his mining job in 1970 to join 13,500 Chinese technical and engineering personnel and 38,000 Tanzanian and Zambian workers who helped establish the rail authority.

　　Zimba said the steady job and good pay enabled him and his wife to start a family and provide their eight children with an education.

　　The authority was funded by China and established between 1970 and 1975, with commercial operations starting in July 1976. It linked Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia to Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian coast, providing freight and passenger services.

　　Wang Luo, director of the Institute of International Development Cooperation, responsible to the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Commerce, said, "The railway has been an economic catalyst for eastern and southern African nations and a symbol of the friendship between China and Africa."

　　Emmanuel Matambo, an analyst at the Center for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, said, "The Tanzania-Zambia railway line played a seminal role in demonstrating China's solidarity with anti-colonial and anti-apartheid agitation in Africa."

　　He added that despite not functioning at its best, the line's ideological importance has been so influential that it has dispelled many arguments about China's alleged colonial or harmful designs on Africa.

　　"The railway authority was thus an altruistic contribution to Africa from a country that wants to be seen as a kindred spirit to the continent. It created the trust that China still enjoys in Africa today," Matambo said.

　　

　　Maximum efforts

　　

　　The idea to connect central and southern African countries with the east coast by a rail link can be traced as far back as 1947. Western nations were initially approached for help in building the line, but they rebuffed the idea, insisting that the project was not economically viable, according to the railway authority.

　　Although China was experiencing difficult times itself, it made maximum efforts to finance it as a turnkey project－one that is constructed so that it can be sold to a buyer as a completed project.

　　In 1970, Chinese inspectors walked for nine months from Tanzania to Zambia to mark the route. The difficulties in building the railway were immense, and more than 160 workers, including 64 Chinese, died during the construction, according to the authority.

　　Mark Mwandosya, former Tanzanian minister of communication and transport, said, "Those of us who are fortunate enough to have witnessed the construction will forever be grateful to China."

　　Official figures show that TAZARA has transported more than 30 million metric tons of cargo and over 40 million passengers since it started operating in 1976. During this time, China has offered technical support to enable the authority to function well.

　　The rail line has seen Kapiri Mposhi, which used to be a sleepy town, grow into a vibrant hub with a population of 300,000. It has also seen hotels and restaurants mushrooming to serve traders and workers from the railway authority.

　　Li Dechao, deputy managing director at China Civil Engineering Construction Co in Tanzania－TAZARA's Chinese operating company－said, "This infrastructure is a very important link to hinterland areas."

　　He added that as the rail line passes through underdeveloped rural areas in Tanzania and Zambia, it has become the lifeblood of local economic development.

　　In addition, it has fostered positive relations between Tanzania and Zambia due to the shared growth it has brought. Analysts in Africa believe that these gains from the project exemplify the anticipated benefits from future Sino-African cooperation.

　　TAZARA is just a tiny part of China's long-term and continuous foreign aid to African countries. Since 1956, all countries on the continent that have established diplomatic relations with China have received Chinese aid in various forms, according to Wang, from the Institute of International Development Cooperation.

　　"Africa has been in great need of foreign aid, as the continent has a large number of developing countries," she said. "China has attached great importance to the development of Africa, and more than 40 percent of China's foreign aid currently goes to the continent."

　　After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the Chinese government decided to help developing countries that were in need, as well as promote the country's standing on the world stage.

　　At the time, Asian and African countries were winning their independence and were eager to obtain external development aid. Wang said that in view of this, and to widen its diplomatic reach, China strengthened its cooperation with and assistance to developing countries on both continents.

　　

　　Basic principle

　　

　　China's foreign aid began in 1950, when it provided material assistance to two neighboring countries, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Vietnam.

　　The basic principle for the country's foreign aid was formulated when Premier Zhou Enlai announced the Eight Principles for Economic Aid and Technical Assistance to Other Countries during his first visit to Africa from December 1963 to February 1964.

　　In the nearly 70 years since China began aiding foreign countries, it has always abided by the Eight Principles, whose key content embraces equality, mutual benefit and no political conditions.

　　"China's foreign aid is different from that of Western countries," Wang said. "We don't impose political strings, and we respect a recipient country's right in choosing its development path. Moreover, all our personnel for foreign aid share wealth and woes with African people and treat them just like brothers, which has impressed them a lot."

　　Chinese aid to Africa is also designed to help support the continent's development agenda, thus positioning China as a strategic alternative for such assistance.

　　George Nyongesa, a senior associate at the Africa Policy Institute, a think tank in Kenya, said: "China focuses on infrastructure development, which in turn facilitates follow-on investments. Additionally, as the West reduced aid to Africa in recent years, China has been ramping up its assistance and intends to set up an international development cooperation agency to coordinate its foreign aid."

　　Financial resources provided by China for foreign aid mainly fall into three types: grants, interest-free loans and concessional loans. The first two come from State finances, while concessional loans are provided by the Export-Import Bank of China as designated by the central government, according to the State Council Information Office.

　　China offers foreign aid in eight forms: complete projects; goods and materials; technical cooperation; human resource development cooperation; medical teams sent abroad; emergency humanitarian aid; volunteer programs in foreign countries; and debt relief.

　　Hisham AbuBakr Metwally, an economics researcher with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry, said Chinese aid has had a major impact on improving the lives of African people, as it targets basic services for citizens such as roads, railways and power stations, among others.

　　China turned to the participation of African countries in achieving their development plans, which contributed greatly to the high growth rates in nations such as Mauritius, Ethiopia, Kenya and Egypt, he said.

　　Furthermore, there is a large funding gap between what African countries require for infrastructure development and the money available. China contributes significantly to financing infrastructure projects, as well as the creation of more industrial zones that the continent desperately needs, Metwally said.

　　While sticking to the core values of the Eight Principles, China has been keeping pace with the times to transform its foreign aid system and specific ways of providing such assistance.

　　Wang said that in the initial stage, a number of African countries had just won their independence and were in great need of foreign development aid. China provided this in the manner required. As the country was still a planned economy at the time, the central government assigned tasks mainly to State-owned organizations.

　　"At the time, China was facing difficult situations both at home and abroad, and it provided all the assistance it could afford to African countries in their efforts to win independence and develop their economies, laying the foundation for a friendly relationship," Wang said.

　　In October 1971, China resumed its seat in the United Nations, with the support of developing countries, including those from Africa.

　　

　　New road taken

　　

　　After adopting the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, China started to develop a market economy, and its economic cooperation with other developing countries extended from economic aid to multiform and mutually beneficial cooperation.

　　"China adjusted the scale, arrangement, structure and sectors of its foreign aid in accordance with its actual conditions," Wang said. "It strengthened its foreign assistance to the least-developed countries and paid more attention to the economic and long-term effects of aid projects."

　　In 2000, the Sino-African relationship embarked on a new road when the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was launched. This marked the transformation of the relationship from political and economic cooperation in limited areas to comprehensive cooperation in political, economic, social and cultural fields. Regular and frequent exchanges between China and Africa have been held since then.

　　Wang said Africa is no longer merely a continent that needs aid, it is a potentially big market. As African countries are at different levels of economic development, China is considering the kind of role the aid can play in advancing deeper and closer comprehensive economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.

　　"We consider how to use our aid to support the industrial development of African countries, consolidate their economic foundation and help them integrate with global development," she said.

　　In recent decades, Africa has witnessed far-reaching changes, and has seen one of the fastest rates of economic development globally, meaning there are now different requirements for aid from China, Wang added.

　　This year's Africa Economic Outlook from the African Development Bank shows that the continent's general economic performance continues to be encouraging. GDP growth reached an estimated 3.5 percent last year, about the same as in 2017 and up from 2.1 percent in 2016. Growth is projected to accelerate to 4 percent this year and to 4.1 percent next year.

　　"While African countries will still need funding, projects and materials, they now want to learn more about China's experience in governance and economic development, including how to stimulate market potential and the private sector," Wang said.

　　She added that faced with various demands for aid, China would consider its comparative advantages, and share more often with developing countries its solutions and experiences in governance and developing its economy.

　　"We consult with the recipient countries to find out what they need most and what we are best at, to make the best solution while providing aid," she said.

　　Nyongesa, the Kenyan analyst, said aid from China has been aligned to Africa's Agenda 2063, the continent's development blueprint. The eight major initiatives announced at the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing last year overlapped with Africa's development priorities as well as individual development strategies.

　　President Xi Jinping announced an additional $60 billion in funding to largely facilitate improved railway systems, transportation and energy infrastructure, in addition to public health and industrialization. Nyongesa said, "These are areas that underpin Africa's structural transformation that is expected to lift millions out of poverty."

　　China has also been able to develop financing models to match African countries' economic capacity.

　　Mutambo, from the University of Johannesburg, said that to sustain cooperation, the Sino-African relationship needs to gradually move from a government-to-government to a private-to-private connection. "The private sector can benefit more if the African and Chinese governments promote responsive and good leadership, aspects which are often limitedly assessed under the scope of non-interference," Mutambo added.

　　

　　譯文:

　　中國伸援助之手 非洲登發展快軌

　　——坦贊鐵路見證中國智慧分享合作共贏

　　

　　午后的時光緩緩流逝，坦桑尼亞港口城市達累斯薩拉姆的火車站里人頭攢動，候車室的廣播正不停地播報著最新的火車發車時刻表。

　　正在候車的中年乘客阿莎·邁穆納（音譯）苦笑著說:"什么時候開車無所謂，能安全抵達目的地才是最重要的。"

　　邁穆納打算坐火車前往813公里外的姆貝亞市去看望她的父母。因為城市之間的公路路況惡劣、部分路段受阻，搭乘公路交通總是極易遭遇交通事故。

　　"馬庫巴特快列車（坦贊鐵路上運行的列車）對于我們許多人來說都是必不可少的，盡管有時候它會晚點比較久，速度也不是很快。"邁穆納說道。

　　坦贊鐵路東起坦桑尼亞的達累斯薩拉姆市，向西蜿蜒約1860公里后最終到達贊比亞中部的銅礦小城卡皮里姆波希。它是非洲內陸國家贊比亞的生命線，也為坦桑尼亞和贊比亞兩國創造了無數的就業機會。坦贊鐵路是中國在發展中國家援建的重要項目之一。

　　國務院新聞辦2016年12月發布的《發展權:中國的理念、實踐與貢獻》白皮書指出，60多年來，中國共向166個國家和國際組織提供了近4000億元人民幣的援助；為發展中國家培訓各類人員多達1200多萬人次；在派遣出的60多萬援助人員中，有700多人為他國發展獻出了寶貴生命。

　　中國的援助為改善受援國人民的生活做出了巨大的貢獻。

　　在過去的43年里，79歲的博尼法斯·辛巴（音譯）一直乘坐坦贊鐵路局運營的列車去探望他住在贊比亞農村的家人。辛巴曾參與修建坦贊鐵路，24年前從坦贊鐵路局退休。這些年來，他常常會在列車上遇到當年一起工作的建筑工人，而他們總會情不自禁地談起中國援建的這條鐵路如何有效地促進了當地的經濟發展、切實地改變了人們的生活。

　　"我們很驕傲參與了坦贊鐵路的修建工作。" 辛巴說道。他原本是一位礦工，1970年加入了坦贊鐵路的修建大軍，與13500名中國技術和工程人員以及38000名坦桑尼亞和贊比亞工人們并肩作戰。

　　這份穩定的工作及其豐厚的待遇使他得以順利地組建了自己的小家庭，供8名子女接受了教育，他回憶道。

　　坦贊鐵路由中國于1970年至1975年間援建，在1976年7月移交坦贊兩國政府并開始商業運營，在坦贊兩國之間沿途提供貨運及客運服務。

　　商務部國際貿易經濟合作研究院國際發展合作研究所所長王濼指出:"坦贊鐵路是東非和非洲南部國家經濟發展的催化劑，也是中非友誼的象征。"

　　南非約翰內斯堡大學中非研究中心研究員埃曼努埃爾·馬坦博（音譯）認為:"坦贊鐵路體現了中國堅決支持非洲反殖民和反種族隔離運動的立場，意義深遠。"

　　盡管這條鐵路目前還沒有達到最佳運營狀態，但它在意識形態上的重要性影響深遠。同時，它也消除了許多污蔑中國企圖殖民化非洲或損害非洲利益的言論，他補充道。

　　"因此，對于非洲國家來說，坦贊鐵路是與之志同道合的中國送出的一份無私的禮物。坦贊鐵路使中國贏得了非洲的信任，中國至今依然享有這份信任。"

　　

　　最大限度的支持

　　

　　坦桑尼亞和贊比亞兩國早在1947年就萌發了修建鐵路將非洲中部、南部國家與東海岸相連的想法。他們最初向西方國家求援，西方國家卻以修筑這條鐵路經濟上不可行為由斷然予以拒絕。

　　彼時，中國自身面臨重重困難，卻仍盡最大限度的努力以"交鑰匙"工程的方式援建了坦贊鐵路，即由中方全面地承擔項目的組織實施任務，建成后再移交給受援國政府。

　　1970年，中國測繪人員從坦桑尼亞徒步到贊比亞，歷時9個月完成了坦贊鐵路的勘測工作。坦贊鐵路的修建過程也是困難重重，坦贊鐵路局的數據顯示，至少有160名工人，包括64名中國工人，為之獻出了寶貴的生命。

　　前坦桑尼亞交通部長馬克·姆萬多西亞說道:"有幸見證坦贊鐵路建設過程的所有人都會永遠感激中國。"

　　坦贊鐵路局的官方數據顯示，自1976年正式運營以來，坦贊鐵路共運送了3000多萬噸貨物及4000多萬名乘客，中國則一直為之提供技術支持，確保鐵路的正常運轉。

　　有了坦贊鐵路，曾經的"睡城"卡皮里姆波希已發展成為擁有30萬人口、活力四射的交通樞紐城市，酒店和餐館如雨后春筍般在此涌現，為路過的商人及鐵路工人等提供服務。

　　參與坦贊鐵路運營的中國土木工程集團有限公司坦桑尼亞分公司副總經理李德超認為:"坦贊鐵路是連接非洲內陸地區的一個非常重要的紐帶。"

　　由于坦贊鐵路沿途穿越坦桑尼亞和贊比亞許多欠發達的農村，它也成為了當地經濟發展的命脈，他補充道。

　　此外，坦贊鐵路給坦桑尼亞和贊比亞兩國帶來了共同的經濟增長，也進一步促進了兩國友好關系的發展。非洲分析人士普遍認為，坦贊鐵路給非洲帶來的效益說明了中非之間后續的合作必然會給非洲帶來巨大的收益。

　　在中國長期持續的對非援助中，坦贊鐵路只是冰山一角。

　　商務部國際貿易經濟合作研究院國際發展合作研究所所長王濼表示，自1956年以來，所有與中國建交的非洲國家都獲得過中國以各種形式提供的援助。

　　"非洲擁有大量的發展中國家，長期以來都非常需要國際援助。中國一直高度重視非洲大陸的發展，我們對外援助總額中至少有40%都流向了非洲。"她說道。

　　1949年中華人民共和國成立后，中國政府即決定幫助有援助需求的發展中國家，同時提升中國在國際舞臺中的地位。

　　王濼表示，當時不少亞洲和非洲國家正在爭取民族獨立、發展民族經濟，渴望外部援助。考慮到這種情況，也為了擴大中國的外交"朋友圈"，中國政府加強了與亞非發展中國家的合作及對他們的援助。

　　

　　對外援助基本原則

　　

　　1950年，中國開始向朝鮮和越南兩國提供物資援助，開啟了中國對外援助的序幕。

　　周恩來總理在1963年底到1964年初首次訪問非洲期間提出了中國對外經濟技術援助的八項原則，其核心內容包括秉持平等互利原則、絕不附帶任何條件等。 半個多世紀以來，中國在開展對外援助時始終堅持這八項基本原則。

　　"中國的對外援助和西方國家大不相同。我們在提供援助時不附加任何政治條件，并且尊重受援國選擇自身發展道路的權利。此外，我們所有的外援人員都和非洲當地工作人員同吃同住、同甘共苦，對待當地人就像對待自己的兄弟，給非洲人民留下了深刻的印象。" 王濼說道。

　　中國的對非援助旨在幫助和支持非洲大陸實現其自身設置的發展議程。對于非洲國家來說，中國只是其在尋求國際援助時的戰略選擇之一。

　　肯尼亞非洲政策研究所高級研究員喬治·尼恩格薩（音譯）認為:"中國的援助側重于基礎設施建設領域，而基礎設施的發展又可以帶動后續的相關投資。近年來西方國家逐步減少對非洲的援助，中國則增強了對非援助的力度，并有意成立一個國際發展合作機構來協調其對外援助。"

　　《中國的對外援助》白皮書顯示，中國對外援助資金主要有三種類型:無償援助、無息貸款和優惠貸款。其中，無償援助和無息貸款資金在國家財政項下支出，優惠貸款由中國政府指定中國進出口銀行對外提供。

　　中國對外援助主要通過八種方式:成套項目、一般物資、技術合作、人力資源開發合作、援外醫療隊、緊急人道主義援助、援外志愿者和債務減免。

　　埃及工業與發展部首席經濟學家希沙姆·阿布貝克·梅特沃利（音譯）表示，中國在非洲援建了大量公路、鐵路、發電站等為公民提供基礎服務的設施，極大地提高了非洲人民的生活水平。

　　中國有效地幫助了非洲國家實現其自身的發展目標，為毛里求斯、埃塞俄比亞、肯尼亞和埃及等非洲國家經濟的快速增長做出了重大貢獻。此外，非洲基礎設施領域仍然存在巨大的資金缺口，中國為非洲的基礎設施項目提供了大量的融資服務，并大力幫助非洲國家建設其迫切需要的工業區，梅特沃利補充道。

　　中國的對外援助一直以"八項原則"為核心，但同時也依據時代變化，與時俱進地變革援助體制和援助方式。

　　王濼指出，中國開展對外援助的初期，很多非洲國家剛剛贏得民族獨立，急需國際援助以發展民族經濟。因此中國往往根據他們要求的方式提供援助。彼時中國仍處于計劃經濟時代，所以中央政府會把援助任務的實施主要交由國有機構來完成。

　　"那時候，中國自身也處于內外交困的情形，但還是盡最大的努力去支援非洲國家爭取民族獨立、發展民族經濟，為中非友誼奠定了堅實的基礎。" 王濼說道。

　　1971年10月,在包括非洲各國在內的廣大發展中國家的大力支持下，中國也得以恢復在聯合國的合法席位。

　　

　　中非友誼踏上新征程

　　

　　1978年，中國開始實行改革開放政策、發展市場經濟，與其他發展中國家的經濟合作也由經濟援助向多種形式互利合作的方向發展。

　　"中國根據實際情況調整了對外援助的規模、形式、結構和領域，加強了對最不發達國家的援助，并更加重視援助項目的經濟效益和遠期影響。" 王濼說道。

　　2000年，中非合作論壇的成立標志著中非關系開啟了新征程，意味著中非關系將從有限領域的政治經濟合作向政治、經濟、社會、文化等領域的全方位合作轉變。自此，中非之間定期、頻繁地進行交流。

　　王濼認為，非洲已不再是一個僅僅需要國外援助的大陸，而是已經成長為一個潛在的巨大市場。由于非洲各國經濟發展水平參差不齊，中國也開始考慮如何使援助項目更有效地推動中非雙方發展更深入、更緊密的全面經貿合作伙伴關系。

　　"我們現在會更多地考慮如何利用我們的援助來支持非洲國家的工業化進程，鞏固他們的經濟基礎，幫助他們更好地融入全球發展。"她說。

　　近幾十年來，非洲大陸發生了深刻的變化，成為全球經濟增長最快的地區之一，這意味著非洲對中國的援助也會有不同的要求，她說道。

　　非洲開發銀行發布的《2019年非洲經濟展望》報告顯示，非洲經濟增長整體呈現良好的態勢，初步估算，2018年非洲經濟增速為3.5%，與2017年幾乎持平，比2016年增長了1.4個百分點。報告預計，2019年和2020年非洲經濟增速將分別達到4%和4.1%。

　　"雖然非洲國家仍需要資金、項目和物資援助，但現在他們更希望學習中國在國家治理和經濟發展方面的經驗，包括如何激發市場潛力及如何促進民營經濟的發展。" 王濼說道。

　　當前，面對各種援助需求時，中國會考慮自身的比較優勢，更多地與發展中國家分享國家治理和經濟發展過程中的有效經驗和解決方案。

　　"我們會與受援國一起討論他們最需要什么、我們最擅長什么，從而制定出最優的援助方案。" 王濼說道。

　　肯尼亞非洲政策研究所的尼恩格薩認為，中國對非援助與非洲大陸制定的發展藍圖《2063年議程》是相契合的。2018年中非合作論壇北京峰會上提出的"八大行動"與非洲大陸的發展重點和非洲各國的發展策略也是互相重合的。

　　2018年國家主席習近平在中非合作論壇北京峰會上宣布，為推動"八大行動"順利實施，中國愿再向非洲提供600億美元支持。據悉，這些資金將主要用于大力改善非洲的交通和能源等基礎設施、推動公共衛生發展和工業化進程。尼恩格薩認為:"這些領域是非洲實現經濟結構轉型的基礎，而經濟結構轉型的順利實現預計將使數百萬非洲人民擺脫貧困。"

　　此外，中國還發展了符合非洲國家經濟發展水平的融資模式。

　　南非約翰內斯堡大學的馬坦博認為，中非要維持長久的合作伙伴關系，則應逐步從政府合作層面向民間交流層面拓展。

　　"中非政府目前秉持的是不干預私營經濟發展的原則。但若中非政府能夠為雙方私營經濟間的合作與交流提供更為及時高效的引領，中非的私營經濟領域將獲益更多。" 馬坦博說道。