The World Bank and China are in discussions about setting up low-cost factories in industrial zones in Africa to help the continent develop a manufacturing base and reverse its declining share of global trade.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Beijing had shown “strong interest” in the proposals (sådanne zoner er blevet kritiseret af fagbevægelsen for manglende fagforeningsrettigheder og dårlige arbejdsforhold, red.)
Zoellick said African nations needed to build the infrastructure, such as power and transport, to attract the Chinese investment. – One of the challenges for Africa, if you want to follow a model or growth of east Asia or south Asia, is starting a manufacturing platform, noted he.
– Some of these Chinese industries have the benefit of knowing how to do more labor intensive manufacturing and they have the marketing networks and this is always a challenge when you start an operation, he stressed.
Meanwhile, “China and Africa look forward to deepe-ning cooperation in various fields, especially science and technology, industry, agricul-ture and environ-ment”, said Egyp-tian and Chinese officials in Cairo.
A China Exhibition on Innovative Technologies and Products in the Egyptian capital aims at promoting science and technology and trade flow between China and Egypt as well as other African countries.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
