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Date : 09/120/04
Source: Ministry of Communications
Title: Padayachie: China-Africa Ministerial Workshop for Telecommunications

Speech delivered by His Excellency, the Honourable Deputy Minister, Mr Radhakrishna L Padayachie (Roy), of the Ministry of Communications of the Government of South Africa, as a representative of the African countries’ participants at the China-Africa Ministerial Workshop For Telecommunications, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China


9 December 2004
The Assistant Minister of Commerce, Peoples Republic of China, Mr. Chenjian; The Assistant Ministers; Director-General and other senior Government officials; Organisers and Representatives of the Ministries of Commerce and of information industry of the Peoples Republic of China; African Ministers; Deputy Ministers and Representatives of African Governments present; Esteemed Business persons; Community leaders and Guests All Protocols observed
On behalf of all the African participants at this Ministerial workshop I greet you:
Good Morning. Nie Hawo! Bon Jour, As sala malakum and in a South African language, we say sanibonani!
I wish to record our appreciation and thanks for this initiative
Please allow me to place on record our sincere appreciation and thanks to the Government of the Peoples Republic of China and the Ministries of Commerce and Information Industry for having hosted this important Ministerial Consultation Workshop on Telecommunications, here in this beautiful and historical city of Beijing.
All of us here from Africa thank you for this friendship and solidarity expressed between our peoples and our Governments.
We are today reminded that this bond that we enjoy is not born from just today, nor does it arise from any expediency or fashion of the moment.
The relationship that we are consolidating today comes from historically-based co-operation among our countries and is founded on commonly cherished principles and not on the mere strategy and tactics for the immediate pursuance of narrow economic goals, for the moment.
It has its origins and its foundation in the solidarity demonstrated between our peoples and Governments against colonialism, imperialism and racism in the world.
History records the evidence of this partnership and the pursuit of Afro-Asian solidarity as demonstrated by:
* The Bandung Conference of 1955 in Indonesia that marked the beginning of Afro-Asian solidarity strongly supported by China
* The institutionalisation of this relation ship in the Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO) in which China played a leading role
* The August 1963 speech by Chairman Mao Zedong on colonialism and racism
* The 1964 visit to Africa by Premier Zhou Enlai
* Following the foreign policy statement of the esteemed leader Deng Xiaping leading to the Beijing Declaration and the Programme for China-African Co-operation in Economic and Social Development, and followed on by:
* The Addis Ababa Action Plan in December 2003
These have led to the current initiatives.
It is nourished by our common and principled belief, that as representatives of our people in Government, we are driven, in our endeavours, by our unshakeable commitment to advancing the interests of our masses and serving our people as a whole.
This solidarity based on our partnership of principle derives itself also from our commonly-held vision of the necessity to create a better global order so that our peoples, led by their respective Governments could better address the challenges of poverty, underdevelopment and the need for economic prosperity so that there could be a better life for all.
The present context forces us to find ways to those developmental and potential challenges.
THE PRESENT CONTEXT IN WHICH WE ARE STRENGTHENING THIS PARTNERSHIP
We are seriously mindful of the fact that this strengthening of our partnership is now taking place in a vastly different historical global context that that of the previous epoch.
In relation to Africa, our efforts are taking place in a context that is best characterised by Africa’s search for:
* Economic renewal in the framework of the new partnership for Africa’s development (NEPAD) and the principal platform for all international engagements
* The institutionalisation of new organs of continental collaboration and governance as reflected in the important institutions of the African Union and the African Parliament. These are important governance institutions that are called upon to lead the whole of Africa in the coming decades of prosperity and the securing of the African Renaissance
* An end to Africa’s marginalisation on matters of a global nature
* A practical implementation of our vision for continental unity, peace and stability, an end to regional conflicts in Africa and a resolution of disputes through peaceful means, and
* A thorough search for our own development path on the basis of the principle of self-reliance, supported by international partnerships also of principled and for mutual benefit
In relation to China, we are moved by our belief that:
* In China there is a historic friend and an ally of principle
* Our respective nations are resolutely committed to multilateralism and the effective strengthening of the multilateral institutions on the international stage
* China is, as we are, committed to the use of technology for a better world order that will enable us to address the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment
* China also pursues meaningful international engagements in line with its mission for accelerating its internal economic and political interests.
THIS INITIATIVE: MINISTERIAL WORKSHOP ON TELECOMMUNCATIONS
China’s initiative in hosting this workshop is therefore regarded as an expression of this historical and principled partnership between developing countries, sharing a common and strategic vision of a better world.

It reflects a renewed search between our nations to find new ways and forms that would find expression to this principle of solidarity that has always existed between us.

The partnership and collaboration in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), which is the subject of our meeting, aimed at our mutual benefit, s therefore very significant and is considered vitally important for ICT developments both in Africa, South East Asia, in general and China in particular.

In Africa we were always conscious that the sun first rises in the east. It is therefore time to apply this natural wisdom and in the case of ICT to look to the east.

ICT AND AFRICA
Several issues of significance make up our major interests in respect of the development of our ICT capabilities in Africa. These are:
* The role of ICT in creating economic growth and eradicating poverty
* Investing and support in accelerating the development of ICT infrastructure in Africa
* East African Submarine System (Eassy) optic fibre cable connecting the Eastern part of Africa * Need for sustainable foreign and domestic investment in ICT sector
* Accelerating and strengthening human resource development in Africa
* At higher leadership levels
* Making our public schools technologically literate (the NEPAD e-Schools project)
* Universal provision of services and closing the digital divide
* Building effective partnerships between governments, business and civil society
* Establishment of the appropriate policy and regulatory framework for accelerating development in ICTs
* The implications for development arising from the rapid take of mobile cellular in comparison to fixed telephony (as the common saying goes: the easiest way to get out of poverty is to own one mobile phone)
* The ability that ICTs and the digital technologies may have to leapfrog the development divide
* The implications of all this in a possible future world of the convergence of technologies
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Our deliberations and dialogue here is seen as a further step in the process of clarifying and consolidating our vision on harnessing ICTs to assist Africa in the implementation of its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The upcoming WSIS meeting scheduled for Tunis next year will spearhead the next phase in Africa’s ICT development vision and plans.

TRADE FLOWS
Reported figures on trade flows between our countries indicate that Chinese companies have made contracted investment of $1.17 billion in Africa and are presently involved in 296 projects on the continent covering construction, pharmaceutical, chemicals, light industry and textiles.

As part of the China-Africa Forum on Cooperation, China has cancelled 156 debts totalling $1.27 billion with 31 African countries.

China’s trade with Africa in 2003 totalled $13.39 billion- increase over 2002 figures of $10.6 billion and this has further significantly increased this year (as we have heard from the Assistant Minister Chenjian).

This illustrates that trade is the lifeblood to the development co-operation we seek between our countries.

The gathering is also very timely, coming as it does after the meeting of the founding Presidents of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) after the first 3 years, called upon African governments and nations to accelerate developments in ICTs.

In meeting this call, we are therefore challenged to use our time here in productive deliberations and exchanges that will support this call for accelerated development in ICTs.

We are therefore extremely grateful for this opportunity, organised by the government of the Peoples Republic of China in hosting this Ministerial consultation.

Ladies and gentlemen, at the induction meeting last night, the organisers apologised to us for bringing us African, out of sunny Africa to a cold China.

I responded last night, as I do so again now here, that since my arrival in China yesterday, I have only experienced the warmth and friendliness of the Chinese people, for which I and my African colleagues thank you very much.

I thank you
Issued by: Ministry of Communications
9 December 2004

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