China, Africa work to build security community

China has always worked to develop relations with Africa, with a commitment to upholding the greater good in the pursuit of shared interests and following the principles of sincerity, pragmatism, affinity and good faith, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in a congratulatory letter to the second China-Africa Peace and Security Forum on July 25.

Xi noted that the country is ready to work with its African friends to adhere to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

China will work with Africa to safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, uphold international fairness and justice, promote the implementation of the Global Security Initiative, and build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, Xi said.

Xi’s congratulatory letter fully indicated the high attention attached by China on China-Africa peace and security cooperation. It has charted the course for the two sides to enhance cooperation and solidarity and achieve common security.

Africa has been facing a number of uncertainties in its security situation, as well as untraditional security threats such as terrorism, COVID-19, climate change and food security. Against such a background, to enhance China-Africa peace and security cooperation is of more practical significance.

The second China-Africa Peace and Security Forum was attended by 50 ministerial-level officials and high-level representatives from the African Union(AU) and African countries.

They said China is a reliable friend, partner and brother of Africa and expressed their thanks to China for assisting and supporting Africa’s peace and security. They are ready to enhance solidarity and cooperation with China, and make positive contributions to build a China-Africa community with a shared future.

Realizing enduring peace and universal security is a common aspiration of the Chinese and African peoples. Peace and security cooperation is an important part of China-Africa cooperation.

At the 2015 Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the 2018 Beijing Summit of the FOCAC, and the eighth FOCAC ministerial conference held the last year, President Xi personally planned and promoted China-Africa peace and security cooperation.

He raised a series of important initiatives on peace and security and proposed to set up the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum to build a platform for the two sides to enhance communication in the specific field. The peace and security cooperation carried out by China and Africa under the framework of the FOCAC is an important measure of them to build a China-Africa community with a shared future.

Different from other major countries outside Africa, China, when participating in Africa’s peace and security affairs, fully respects the wills of regional countries, never interferes in their domestic affairs and follows the basic norms governing international relations.

China supports African countries and the African Union to play a leading role in Africa’s peace and security affairs, supports Africa to enhance its independent capability to maintain peace and stability and fight terrorism, supports African countries and regional organizations including the African Union to implement the “Silencing the Guns” initiative, and supports the UN to provide capital assistance for the African Union’s independent peacekeeping actions.

China is actively joining Africa’s efforts to advance peace and security capacity building. The recently-concluded First China-Horn of Africa Peace, Good Governance and Development Conference marked an important step of China and Africa to implement the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, and provided important assistance for regional countries to independently solve regional peace and security issues.

To implement the China-Africa peace and security program proposed at the eighth FOCAC ministerial conference, China will launch 10 peace and security projects for Africa and keep providing military aid for the African Union. China supports African countries to independently safeguard regional peace and fight terrorism, and will launch China-Africa joint drills, training and light weapon management for peacekeeping.

China is committed to helping Africa improve its independent development capability. The country insists that Africa should put equal emphasis on development and security so as to achieve sustained security and eliminate hotbeds of all types of insecure factors.

China’s active role in development, peacekeeping and mediating hotspot African issues is widely commended. “China doesn’t interfere in African countries’ domestic affairs, and our cooperation is based on equality and mutual benefit,” said John Mulimba, Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation.

China and Africa have always been sharing a same future. They should offer each other mutual assistance in security to build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

As the world is going through profound changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century and entering a period of new turbulence and transformation, the two sides should uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship, put in practice the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, and march toward the aspiration of building a security community, so as to make bigger contributions to tackling global security deficits and promoting world peace and development.

No Abuja – Kaduna train service until kidnap victims are rescued – FG

The Federal government has disclosed that it won’t resume train services along the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor until all the kidnapped victims from the AK-9 train are reunited with their families.

Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo also added that the service would commence when the digital security systems that will monitor activities around the tracks are procured and installed.

The Minister who made these known in Abuja on Tuesday during an inspection of the Idu and Kubwa stations explained that resuming operations without rescuing those kidnapped will make Nigerians perceive the government as insensitive.

Train service along the corridor was suspended by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after an attack on the Kaduna-bound train on March 28th.

He said: “It is very important to get those Nigerians that have been kidnapped reunited with their families, otherwise it will appear the government is not sensitive whereas the government is not only sensitive but the government is doing everything it can to make sure that those who have been affected by this abduction are reunited with their families. I think it is an important step to do that first and foremost.

“Secondly, we must put in place adequateadequate security and infrastructural measures to protect and prevent all forms of threats that are possible and leave what we cannot do to God but everything humanly possible must be put in place to ensure that the reoccurrence of this nature is automatically eliminated forever.

“Technology can make that possible and we are trying to deploy the best technology available anywhere in the world that has served very well in other jurisdictions which we believe can also serve us very well in Nigeria.

“We are in the process of procuring the sensors and that is why I said we must ensure that we put in place every infrastructure that will ensure that lives are safeguarded.

“So, the technology that is going to be deployed is such that you can perceive a threat and eliminate it before you get to the location. That is being proactive.”

Sambo continued: “To save the lives of Nigerians is the topmost priority of the government. This railway asset is brought to bear to improve the lives of Nigerians.

“This was the project that was started under the previous administration and unlike the previous administration, we don’t allow any project to be abandoned.

“So, this administration completed it and it’s running it. It is really unfortunate that what happened happened but we must not let that deter us from providing succour to Nigerians.

“The best way to travel as far as I am concerned is by train and by the grace of God, we will make sure these services resume but not until those things I mentioned have been achieved.

“Rescue or reunion of those that have been kidnapped with their families and put in place technology that will ensure that threats to lives are eliminated.”

The minister also dismissed claims that NRC staff that were onboard the train have been abandoned.

He said: “It is totally unfounded. They are members of staff of the NRC. It will be highly unexpected that a member of your own family is affected in an incident and you have not gone to the family, you have not done the necessary steps to comfort them. It is not possible.

“We have done that and we are still doing and we will continue to do it until we have gotten them reunited with their families and by the grace of God, they will be reunited with their families.”

Development of rural express industry gives a boost to rural vitalization

By LiXinping, People’s Daily

Consumption potential of rural China is being constantly released thanks to the rapid development of the express industry.

The increasingly developed rural express network is leading to smoother logistics in China’s countryside, extending online shopping services to more and more rural consumers and making the rural market a new growth pole of the express industry.

As of 2021, express service outlets have been established in over 80 percent of China’svillages.

According to recent statistics released by the State Post Bureau, China’s express delivery companies handled 51.22 billion parcels in the first six months this year, up 3.7 percent year on year. During the same period, their business revenue increased by 2.9 percent to 498.22 billion yuan ($73.62 billion).

In particular, the share of business volume in central China saw an uplift of 1.1 percentage points, and the figure stood at 0.3 percentage points in the western region.

Rural e-commerce is thriving thanks to expanding express services in rural areas. The prosperous farm produce market and released potential in central China have become a major force driving the growth of the express industry.

The expanding express network brings convenience to rural residents and stimulates consumption potential in rural areas.

In the past, many villagers had to go to townships to send and receive parcels. According to a three-year action plan to extend express delivery to villages released in 2020, express delivery will be available in all qualifying administrative villages by 2022.

Express services have expanded the space of rural development. Relying on the express network, rural e-commerce now enjoys a more solid foundation. More and more agricultural products are entering the urban market, which on one hand meets the demand for individualized consumption, and on the other hand expands the source of income for farmers.

In 2021, 37 billion parcels were collected from and shipped to rural areas across China, facilitating rural-urban commodity exchanges totaling 1.85 trillion yuan.

The rural express network, apart from introducing more products to rural areas, is also taking agricultural products to the outside world, thus increasing the income for farmers.

With smoother rural logistics, a new batch of rural industries with local characteristics are emerging, forming a number of influential local brands. They have injected new impetus and energy into the modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

Besides, the development of the rural express industry has created new jobs and new entrepreneurialopportunities. Many couriers working in cities have returned to their hometowns in the countryside to run express delivery spots, which brings new job opportunities to local communities.The emergence of livestream commerce and short video marketing is also building a platform of entrepreneurship for Chinese villagers.

It is believed that as the rural express network further expands, more and more villages will be incorporated into the modern logistics network and embrace new opportunities. AChina with smoother logistics is taking shape.

5th Digital China Summit achieves fruitful results

By Liu Xiaoyu, Shi Yu, People’s Daily

The 5th Digital China Summit concluded with fruitful results in Fuzhou, capital of east China’s Fujian province on July 24.

The two-day summit included 18 sub-forums on hot issues in digital technologies, as well as more than 30 featured activities. More than 100 academicians and experts, and 100 big names in the digital industry participated.

It was also attended by representatives from over 1,000 Chinese and foreign enterprises. Nearly 2,000 guests joined in-depth negotiations over digital technologies and future cooperation.

The summit aimed to demonstrate the latest achievements in China’s digital construction, with 565 project agreements signed and a total investment value of 299 billion yuan ($44.28 billion), covering 5G, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, industrial internet, cybersecurity and satellite applications. These projects are expected to give a boost to China’s digital industrialization and industrial digitalization.

A special achievements exhibition with an area of more than 200,000 square meters took place, where nearly 500 exhibitors showcased their achievements.

A low-power wearable navigation and motion sensing system was displayed by the State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing of Wuhan University. The system, as small as a bottle cap, can be used to track real-time information on firefighters’ rescue missions and monitor the positions of workers at construction sites.

On a big screen in the exhibition hall, targeted orders were sent to volunteers serving the exhibition through a service management system by the command center of a young volunteers association in Fuzhou. Combining online order making, services evaluation, and volunteer dispatching, the updated digital system is both efficient and environmentally friendly.

In a smart power protection center, information such as weather conditions, load rate of power protection equipment and alarms were displayed visually. The summit for the first time adopted a digital twin power grid and the power system was automatically inspected by smart robots, which helped reduce 50 percent of the support personnel.

The Digital China Summit has been successfully held for five years in a row in Fuzhou since 2018. It is an important platform driving China’s digital construction.

From 2018 to 2021, China moved up its ranking at the Global Innovation Index from 17th to 12th, and the country’s digital economy grew from 31.3 trillion yuan to more than 45 trillion yuan. The proportion of the digital economy in China’s GDP also rose from 34.8 percent to 39.8 percent.

According to a digital development report released by the Cyberspace Administration of China on July 23, China has built the world’s largest and most technologically advanced network infrastructure. With rapidly rising innovation capability in digital technologies, the country has become a frontrunner in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum information, the report said.

Last year, industrial internet was applied in 45 major categories of China’s national economy, with a total output of over one trillion yuan. Digitalization has driven down costs by 17.6 percent and increased revenue by 22.6 percent for manufacturing enterprises.

At present, digital technology is moving toward a new stage featuring intensive application, regulated development and shared benefits, said Yu Xiaohui, head of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, during the summit. Industrial digitalization has become a major development direction of the digital economy, he added.

Nigeria Air: Hope rises as FG approves three aircraft

The process for the establishment of a new national carrier, Nigeria Air, got a boost on Wednesday with the Federal Government approving the lease of three aircraft for initial operations.

A statement Wednesday by Special Assistant to the Minister of Aviation on Public Affairs James Odaudu disclosed that by this approval, the national carrier would begin operations with domestic routes deploying the aircraft to be procured from Airbus and Boeing.

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, made the disclosure while briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sirika announced that the airline would begin with domestic routes, then expands to regional and intercontinental routes. He was not specific with the actual date for the take-off of the airline operations.

On the likely date for the commencement of operations Sirika said “We will announce commencement soon. “

Sanya in S China sees steady progress of coral reef protection

By CaoWenxuan, People’s Daily

Coral reefs are among the oldest and most valuable ecosystems in the world. They are home to nearly 30 percent of marine species though they cover only less than two thousandth of the ocean floor.

However, global warming, marine pollution and over excavation have constantly degraded coral reefs in the last 20 years. Therefore, Chinese marine biologists are planting corals on the seabed to protect coral reefs and restore marine ecology.

Thanks to their efforts, scuba divers are now able to see a vibrant undersea world where species of fish swim in between swaying colorful corals in the waters around Wuzhizhou Island, a renowned tourist attraction in Sanya, south China’s Hainan province.

It’s beyond imagination that 10 years ago, in this vibrant undersea world, there were only shipwrecks and cement piles. The coral reef ecosystem in the waters near Wuzhizhou Island was once destroyed due to the warming seawater, fishing and coastal construction.

Under years of efforts made by scientific researchers, 30,188 corals have been planted on the seabed around Wuzhizhouisland, which covers around 50,000 square meters. The undersea “afforestation” efforts are leading to constant improvement of the marine ecosystem. Coral planting has even been made into a scuba diving program for tourists visiting the island since this year.

Since 2013, Sanya has implemented 19 projects to restore marine ecology, including the restoration of coral reefs and shoals, as well as shoreface nourishment. The city has restored 7.7 kilometers of coastline and a sea area of 51,584 square meters.

Coral planting is a harder form of “afforestation.” On one hand, the complicated marine environment creates huge challenges for planting activities, such as the fierce flow of sea water in the South China Sea caused by typhoons between July and October each year; on the other hand, sections of the seabed are differently affected by the environment and human disturbance, and their health levels also vary, so it calls for scientific researchers to make individualized plans.

The underwater “afforestation” relies on technological progress. There are large areas of coral reefs under the sea waters around Hainan province, which makes the province a major planter of corals. Coral reef restoration technologies have been constantly improved during the coral planting practice in the province.

For instance, the Hainan South China Sea Institute of Tropical Ocean has improved the efficiency of coral planting by applying a stainless steel seedbed; Hainan Universityhas made new breakthroughs in the restoration of fractured coral reefs by combining artificial fish reefs and coral reef restoration.

New methods and technologies are driving new progress inChina’s underwater “afforestation” and contributing Chinese wisdom to the global protection of the marine ecosystem.

Artificial methods are just a supplement to the restoration, while the reduction of human disturbance remains the key to bettering the marine ecosystem.

In recent years, China has enhanced its efforts to promote natural restoration of coral reefs, and coral reef protection has been included in a series of laws of the country.

Besides, China has joined the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, as well as other international treaties.

The country has established five state- and province-level nature reserves and a special national ocean park involving coral reefs.

So far, nearly 30 percent of the offshore waters and 37 percent of the continental coastline of China have been incorporated into its ecological red lines, which is making the ocean more and more beautiful.

Abducted Train Passengers: I will tackle the issue by God’s Grace, Sambo promises protesting family members

The Federal Government has reiterated its resolve at securing the release of the 43 persons still held captive by the terrorists.

Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo stated this while addressing families of the victims of the ill-fated March 28, 2022, train attack who led a peaceful protest to the Ministry demanding the release of their loved ones.


“The government has not been sleeping from the enquiries I have made. There are some things you do not say in public, but I want you to give me time. Let me resume properly in this office and I promise you, this will be the first issue I am going to tackle by the grace of God”, the Minister assured.


Speaking further, the Transportation Minister, requested for details of contacts, names, addresses and telephone numbers that he can reach, promising that he will be in constant engagement until every single person in captivity regains freedom and gets reunited with their families.


The Minister further disclosed that a Situation Room will be created to constantly keep the families abreast of efforts by the government to secure the release of the remaining victims.

Transportation Ministry mourns over loss of Minister’s brother

The Ministry of Transportation has sympathised with its Minister Mu’azu Jaji Sambo over the demise of his younger brother, Ja’afaru Jaji Sambo.

The sad event occurred on Monday,18th July, 2022.

According to a statement signed Thursday by Director Press and Public Relations, Eric Ojiekwe, friends and well-wishers described Ja’afaru as a quintessential gentleman, a master strategist, a philanthropist, a loyalist, a family man, a dependable friend, and above all devote Muslim”.

He was an embodiment of what the Jaji Sambo brothers represent which differentiates them from others: Decorum, philanthropism, respect, sincerity, and team spirit.

It was further disclosed that he was sponsoring well over 300 students from Jalingo Local Government before his demise.

The Management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Transportation while sympathizing with the Minister prayed the Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant him Jannah.

Land-sea trade corridor sees robust development

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a major trade channel between western Chinese provinces and other countries, has witnessed growth in freight volume for four consecutive years since its opening in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality in 2017.

According to statistics, 379,000 TEUs were shipped via the route in the first half of this year, up 33.4 percent year on year.

The passage extends primarily from Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province, and Chongqing to Beibu Gulf Port in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Yangpu Port in south China’s Hainan province. It provides western China with a shorter and faster route for overseas exchanges.

ASEAN countries have also found a faster track to send their products to western China, and further ship these products to Europe via China-Europe freight trains.

Seven new railway service stations joined the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor this year, bringing the total number to 106 located in 14 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, said China Railway Nanning Group Co., Ltd. Over 640 categories of goods have been sent to 319 ports in 107 countries and regions around the world.

Yu Bo, head of the overseas business department of SMW Motors based in Chongqing, said it took about a month to export goods produced in western China to ASEAN countries via river-sea routes, but now they can be transported to Vietnam via the new land-sea corridor in just four days.

“We exported over 3,000 vehicles via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor last year and the number is expected to exceed 4,000 this year,” he told People’s Daily.

The corridor network has kept expanding in various transportation means. Chongqing launched freight train services bound for Vientiane soon after the China-Laos Railway was put into operation, and now the trains are running normally once a week.

On March 26, a new freight train route was opened between Chongqing and Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, bringing new opportunities for cross-border trade between the Chinese municipality and ASEAN countries.

Besides, China’s first sea-rail automated container terminal was recently put into operation in Guangxi’s Qinzhou, and the Beibu Gulf Port is now linked to over 60 container shipping routes.

ASEAN has maintained the largest trading partner of Chongqing for three years in a row. Last year, trade volume between the two sides stood at 129.2 billion yuan ($19.19 billion), up 15.2 percent year on year. Chongqing’s actual use of foreign capital from ASEAN countries grew 124 percent from a year ago to nearly $1.64 billion, while its investment in ASEAN countries hit $46.73 million, up 41 percent year on year.

Chongqing and Hainan jointly launched an initiative with Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos on the promotion of international cooperation on the new land-sea corridor for further trade and investment facilitation.

Besides, a comprehensive cross-region operation platform is taking shape for the corridor. So far, a number of state-owned platform enterprises from Chongqing municipality, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Guizhou province, Gansu province, Ningxia Hui autonomous region and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have joined the construction of the platform.

Ba Chuanjiang, director of the ports and logistics office of the Chongqing municipal government, introduced that the corridor becomes an important driver for the opening up of western China.

The stability and efficiency of the corridor are attracting more enterprises to enhance their cooperation with ASEAN countries, and a cross-border industrial and supply chain is shaping up by international enterprises.

More than 20 projects and organizations, including the Lao-China Economic and Trade Promotion Association, have set up offices in Chongqing. Many Chongqing-based enterprises have established plants in Indonesia and Thailand, such as Chongqing Sokon Industrial Group and Zongshen Industry Group.

Nigerian, Adeyemi Elected Secretary General African Civil Aviation Commission


Ms. Adefunke Adeyemi has been elected as the new Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC).

Ms. Adeyemi’s election as the new Secretary General of AFCAC was announced at the 34th AFCAC Plenary in Dakar, Senegal. The new AFCAC Secretary General takes over from the former Secretary General, Mr. Tefera Mekonnen TEFERRA whose tenure ended in January 2022, following which Ms. Angeline Simana steered AFCAC as Interim Secretary General.

“The Bureau and the Secretariat of AFCAC have the honor to inform AFCAC member States, International Organizations, States Partners and all aviation and affiliated Stakeholders that Ms. Adefunke Adeyemi has been elected the new Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC)”

According to a statement Friday by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Aviation on Public Affairs James Odaudu, the Secretary General who remarked shortly after her election said that her objective is to build on the progress already made by previous Secretaries General and teams of AFCAC to see a new dawn for change through positive action for AFCAC and African aviation.

“The vision for African aviation is to enable a fully connected, prosperous and united Africa. We have made so much progress and we must stay the course and build on current momentum to strengthen existing partnerships and create new mutually beneficial relationships. We are stronger together and I am fully committed to collaboration, multilateralism and fostering cooperation with all States, partners and relevant stakeholders to move African aviation forward.”

With an international career spanning over 20 years, Adefunke began her career as a practicing lawyer in Nigeria and then as Company Secretary and General Counsel to Virgin Nigeria Airways before joining the International Air Transport Association (IATA) where she has worked in different roles over the last 12 years. In her current role as Regional Director, External Affairs and Sustainability for Africa, she advocates for the sustainability of air transport, trade, tourism and business across the region, highlighting its positive socioeconomic impact and value as strategic enablers and accelerators of development and growth across Africa and beyond.

Up until her appointment, Ms. Adeyemi has been the IATA focal point for the implementation of the Single
African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and a Private Sector Champion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), two strategic policy initiatives of the African Union designed to promote intra-African connectivity and trade to secure Africa’s integration and prosperity.

“We must all work together to tackle the challenges that African aviation has faced and harness the opportunities that abound to translate Africa’s aviation potential into reality. The time is now. Africa must fully connect, for its own survival and prosperity. Civil aviation must continue to focus on its core areas and also work much closer with the tourism and trade sectors. This synergy, which must be intentional, will ensure that African aviation survives, grows and thrives for the benefit of Africa and its citizens”, Adeyemi said.

Ms. Adeyemi is a lawyer and advocate, with extensive experience in regional and global strategy and policy development. She is also a global air transport and trade facilitation expert, focused on driving value, policy reform, best practices and international standards to air transport and related sectors, businesses and government. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B. Hons) from the University of Lagos, a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Nanyang Business School, Singapore in collaboration with Wharton Business School, Philadelphia and Berkeley Hass Business School, California.

The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) is the specialized agency of the African Union mandated to oversee matters related to civil aviation across Africa. AFCAC is also expressly tasked as Executing Agency with facilitating, coordinating and ensuring the successful implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision/Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) to liberalize Africa’s air transport industry. It supervises and manages initiatives aimed at improving Safety, Security, Environment, Human Resources Development, Aviation Training, Aviation Financing, Infrastructure development in the air and on the ground), and much more.