Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, east China - May 30, 2023 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of 12th China-Africa Think Tanks Forum in progress, attendees
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Daryl Wade Swanepoel, CEO of South Africa-based Inclusive Society Institute (starting with shot 1/partially overlaid with shot 3):
"The business transactions are based on sound commercial considerations, it is not leading South Africa, or leading Africa into the 'debt trap', as what was often accused. No. From a South African prospective, if one does an assessment of the types of the conditions attached to investments into South Africa, it is as sound as the conditions from the West."
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3. Various of attendees
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4. Sign of 12th China-Africa Think Tanks Forum
5. Guest speaking
6. Attendees
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Pierre Gomez, Gambian Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (starting with shot 6/partially overlaid with shots 8-9):
"Like China did many years ago by sending its people outside to study and come back and build the new China. My core today is for us to learn from that model, from the Chinese model, for young African scholars to come to China, learn from this and go back, and build the new Africa."

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FILE: Abuja, Nigeria - March 22, 2023 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of Chinese agricultural experts teaching Nigerians in farmland
9. Various of Chinese technicians teaching Nigerians at factory, production in progress
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FILE: Gantas, Algeria - Oct 30, 2017 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Various of workers waving national flags, cheering
11. Shield tunneling machine boring
12. Excavator working

Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, east China - May 30, 2023 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Pro. Zine M. Barka, University of Tlemcen (starting with shot 12):
"The very long highway - 1,200 kilometers - links east Algeria and the west [Algeria]. And it is very useful actually, because it makes communications and travel from one point to another point very easy."
14. Various of forum in progress, attendees

African officials and experts attending a two-day think tank forum in east China generally expressed approval of strengthening ties and deepening cooperation with China in the future, while refuting the "debt trap" allegations made by some Western politicians.

Themed on rejuvenation and cooperation, the 12th China-Africa Think Tanks Forum scheduled to end on Wednesday brought together nearly 200 scholars and business representatives from 45 countries to pool wisdom in Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province.

The city of Jinhua has long been at the center of cooperation between China and the continent of Africa. It's home to companies that have built warehouses, industrial parks and e-commerce infrastructures in many African countries.

For 12 consecutive years, the forum has helped policymakers in Africa to formulate and enact effective policies by providing the governments in Africa with evidence-based recommendations. As for China, it has always supported African people in solving African issues in African ways.

"The business transactions are based on sound commercial considerations, it is not leading South Africa, or leading Africa into the 'debt trap', as what was often accused. No. From a South African prospective, if one does an assessment of the types of the conditions attached to investments into South Africa, it is as sound as the conditions from the West," said Daryl Wade Swanepoel, CEO of South Africa-based Inclusive Society Institute.

Last year, China-Africa trade hit a record high of more than 280 billion U.S. dollars. According to data from Chinese customs authorities, exports to Africa increased more than 11 percent year on year, while imports from the continent rose at a similar rate in the same period.

"Like China did many years ago by sending its students outside to study, come back and build the new China. Our core today is to learn from that model, from the Chinese model, to send young African scholars to come to China, learn from them and return to build the new Africa," said Pierre Gomez, Gambian Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology.

China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years. The two sides have jointly constructed and commissioned over 10,000 km of railway, nearly 100,000 km of highway, and an array of important infrastructure including airports, docks, bridges and power plants, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The very long highway stretching 1,200 kilometers links east Algeria and the west Algeria. It is very useful, and it makes the domestic travel very easy," said Pro. Zine M. Barka from the University of Tlemcen, Algeria.

Founded in 2011, the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum has become a major platform ​for academic and other institutions to promote multilateral cooperation, as well as producing ideas for developing countries around the globe.