Chinese companies in Africa create great development opportunities

A Kenyan journalist takes a selfie with female train drivers Concilia (C) and Alice (L) during the launching day of the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Mombasa, Kenya, on May 31, 2017. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese companies operating in Africa have created huge opportunities for the continent's development, a senior political advisor said Wednesday at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual sessions of the top legislative and political advisory bodies.

There are more than 10,000 Chinese companies in Africa and over 90 percent of them are private businesses, said Nan Cunhui, a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, citing a recent survey.

These companies have built roads, railways, airports, ports and other infrastructure projects in Africa, addressing the bottleneck in development, said Nan, also a vice chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. They have also invested in green energy development, including photovoltaic power stations, to boost local power supply.

The Chinese companies have also brought advanced technologies, development concepts and management to the continent, Nan said.

Citing the operation of an industrial park in Egypt as an example, Nan said over 95 percent of the employees are locals who develop professional skills and gain managerial know-how through their work.

"Chinese companies in Africa have contributed a lot to the local economic development through infrastructure construction, job creation and tax payment," Nan said. "I believe China-Africa cooperation will go from strength to strength."