A China-built hydropower station that has remained in operation for six decades in Guinea serves as a vivid illustration of the friendly cooperative relations between China and African countries, said Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah in an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV) earlier this week.
He spoke on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, which concluded Thursday in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian.
On June 9, 1966, the Kinkon Hydropower Station, built by China International Water and Electric Corporation, a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Group Company Limited, was officially handed over to Guinea.
The project was a milestone for both Guinea and China. It was the first hydropower station completed in Guinea after independence and the first hydropower project delivered by China as a complete foreign aid package, with Chinese experts responsible for every stage of its development, from exploration and design to construction.
As a symbol of China-Guinea friendship, the Kinkon Hydropower Station has appeared twice on Guinea's 5,000-franc banknotes.
Located in the Pita Prefecture, where Bah's hometown is, the station has been a vital part of the region's development. And Bah himself has witnessed firsthand how it has transformed local life.
"What I want to say is that I grew up with the Kinkon Hydropower Station. It is located in the province where my hometown is. For the people of the Pita Prefecture, being able to have electricity and to serve as the source of power supply to surrounding cities is something to be proud of. To this day, the station is still in operation. After Guinea's independence, China was among the first countries to demonstrate the significance of China-Africa cooperation through concrete actions by building this hydropower station. This project is a vivid and tangible illustration of the friendly cooperative relations between China and African countries," said Bah.
Over the past six decades, the station, with an installed capacity of 3,400 kilowatts, has remained operational. Generating an average of 16 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, it has long supplied power to the prefectures of Pita, Labe, Dalaba and Mamou. Local residents refer to it as Guinea's "Pearl of the Night".
Hydropower station in Guinea stands as symbol of China-Africa friendly cooperation: Guinean PM
A Chinese envoy on Friday urged an immediate and full ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting at the UN headquarters in New York City, China's permanent representative to the UN Fu Cong noted that the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC and the resurgence of the Ebola outbreak have exacerbated the African country's security and humanitarian situation.
"Currently, the ceasefire in eastern DRC is not being implemented as expected, and the conflicting parties lack mutual trust, with fighting continuing. The international community must urge the conflicting parties to fully implement Security Council Resolution 2773, cease hostilities, abide by international humanitarian law, and protect the safety of civilians. External mediators should assume their responsibilities and promote the genuine implementation of relevant peace agreements. All countries should fully comply with relevant arms embargoes and uphold their commitments to ceasefires," Fu said.
In the meantime, the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the DRC must be fully respected, he added.
Security Council Resolution 2773, adopted on Feb 21, demands that the March 23 Movement (M23) immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from all controlled areas, and fully reverse the establishment of illegitimate parallel administrations in the DRC territory.
China encourages the DRC government and the M23 to continue resolving their differences through negotiations, Fu said, calling on the international community to support the African Union's central role in the peace process in eastern DRC and support the UN, the African Union, and sub-regional organizations in strengthening coordination and forming synergy to build an open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial regional security and economic framework.
On the worsening humanitarian crisis in the DRC, Fu called for more donations from the international community, especially traditional aid providers, to make up for the funding gap, as well as joint efforts by the conflicting parties to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access and the safety of medical personnel and humanitarian workers, and strive for an early victory over the Ebola outbreak.
Noting the abundant natural resources in the DRC have long been the target of plunder and smuggling by armed groups, becoming a significant contributing factor to the conflict, Fu reiterated China's support for the establishment of a transparent and inclusive mineral cooperation mechanism by countries in the region to sever the illegal resource trade chain.
The Security Council should support regional organizations and mechanisms in playing a role in enhancing the transparency and traceability of resource exports, and external powers should avoid using regional mineral resources as bargaining chips in geopolitical games, truly abandon zero-sum thinking, adhere to inclusive and open cooperation, and genuinely help countries in the region and their people benefit from resource development, he said.
China and African countries, including the DRC, have always been a community with a shared future, Fu emphasized, saying China stands ready to work with the international community to make greater contributions to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region.
"In response to the Ebola outbreak, China has immediately provided emergency humanitarian assistance to the DRC and the African Union and has sent medical expert teams to the DRC. Recently, China has provided further emergency humanitarian assistance to the DRC, Uganda, and the African Union. We will closely follow the development of the Ebola outbreak and provide support to the best of our capability based on the needs of African countries to help them defeat the outbreak at an early date. China stands ready to work with the international community to make greater contributions to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region," Fu said.
The DRC has reported 1,203 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 321 deaths, since the outbreak was declared on May 15, according to the latest data released by the country's public health authorities on Friday.
Chinese envoy urges immediate ceasefire in eastern DRC
