(Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang unveiled extra aid for Africa totaling at least $12 billion on Monday, and offered to share advance technology with the continent to help with development of high-speed rail, state media reported.
Li pledged the additional funding in a speech at the Organisation of African Union headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
China will increase credit lines to Africa by $10 billion and will boost the China-Africa Development Fund by $2 billion, bringing it to a total of $5 billion, Li said, according to the official Xinhua news agency. He provided no details of the timeframe.
Li "depicted a dream that all African capitals are connected with high-speed rail, so as to boost pan-African communication and development," the report said. As China has advanced technologies in this area, Li said China was ready to work with Africa "to make this dream come true".
China will also offer $100 million in aid for wildlife protection, Li added, for a part of the world where the Chinese appetite ivory and rhino horns have driven some species to the brink of extinction.
It is Li's first visit to Africa since he became premier last year, and follows on from a trip to the continent by President Xi Jinping in March 2013, when he renewed an offer of $20 billion in loans to Africa between 2013 and 2015.
China is not the best when it comes to Human Rights in their own country and their own people work long hours with no rights and very low pay. I hope the Africans are not taken advantage by China. I highly doubt it that this good news for the regular people there. The only ones the benefit will tend to be the people in the top local Governments in Africa regions that makes the deals with China.
Propaganda at its finest.... Do these children even know what is going on? Hahaha...They were just giving some Chinese flags to wave to the Chinese diplomats...
They obviously want something in return. That's that old Chinese system.
Believe me, European countries are doing the same thing
At least Chinese are clear about their intentions
they are not trying to treat Africans like Children by telling them who they should elect
I would like China to improve its own situation first, stop trying to be the "big brother" before you should
