African nations aim to push forward industrialization, agricultural transformation and trade growth in the future development, said African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in an interview with the China Media Group released on Friday.
These three areas are very important focus for the AU to achieve the Agenda 2063, Africa's development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development over a 50-year period, said Youssouf.
"We are working on the transformation of the continent through industrialization. And industrialization has prerequisites. One of them is energy. So we are developing on the continent energy pools everywhere in the regions relying on renewables, developing our own resources of energies. So this is also where we are making progress," he said.
As 80 percent of African people live in rural areas, transforming agriculture is very important, Youssouf said.
"[We'll have] reliance on smart grains, smart irrigation and developing the capacity of the African continent to increase the production. So transformation is very important. If you have a value chain which helps the Africans to get the best value of their product instead of exporting raw materials, raw crops without transformation, tea, coffee, cacao, etc. African countries are really developing their capacity to transform these agricultural projects," he said.
Noting that trade between nations brings wealth, as well as peace and stability, Youssouf said the AU is working to intensify the trade relations within the continent.
"We are working on how best we can increase the intra-Africa trade figures. We're doing it through mechanism and strategies that we have put into place. One of the mechanisms is the African Continental Free Trade Area. This treaty has been signed and implemented since 2017 and then it has mechanisms inside it, [including] the certificate of origin, the compensation and payment mechanism, etc," he said.
African nations aim for industrialization, agricultural transformation, trade growth in future development: AU Commission chief
As China's national lawmakers and political advisors are gathering in Beijing for the annual meetings, foreign observers say that the meetings will not only set the course for China's future development, but also contribute to global economic growth.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, while the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's supreme organ of state power, is scheduled for Thursday.
These meetings serve both as a review of past achievements and as a strategic compass guiding the nation's future development, as China embarks on the inaugural year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period.
Marina Ragus, deputy speaker of Serbia's National Assembly, said that the meetings are important not only for China, but also for countries such as Serbia, which participates in the Belt and Road Initiative and is a part of a community of shared future with China.
"This is the first year of the 15th in a row five-year plan. What will be the significance of this is the kind of a road-map for China internally, but also globally. Not only that, if the main focal point of this five-year plan is quality, innovation, science, technology, that is kind of engine for the world's economy. We are part of the Belt and Road Initiative. We are part the community of shared future with China. So, for us as well, 'two sessions' are the most important event for a future to come," said Ragus.
Marcos Cordeiro Pires, a professor on the international political economy at Sao Paulo State University in Brazil, said that the 15th Five-year Plan is set to have far-reaching effects on the global economy.
"I would like to highlight two points [in the 15th Five-year Plan] that are of great importance for Brazil and other countries. The first is the priority placed on the green transition. The second concerns openness in global trade. China has become a new safe harbor at a time when some countries are adopting protectionist policies that hinder the integration of the world economy," said Pires.
As China's push for high-quality development is progressing steadily, international observers expect a stable and growing Chinese economy to inject more momentum and opportunities into the world economy.
Foreign observers say China's two sessions carry global significance
