Key projects launched as part of Belt and Road Initiative

Marked improvements

Wu Peng, head of African affairs at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that as part of the BRI, cooperation projects such as roads, ports, power and telecommunication facilities have been put into operation throughout Africa, significantly improving the continent's ability to achieve sustainable development.

China will continue to align the BRI and the Global Development Initiative, which it also proposed, closely with the development strategies of African countries. It will also expand Sino-African cooperation to new sectors such as green development and the digital economy to bring about joint prosperity, he said.

Toga, the Ethiopian ambassador, said that as a global initiative, the BRI should be financed in a more diverse way for sustainability.

"These are huge infrastructure projects, and they cost a lot of money," he said. "China shouldn't be the only source of finance. The private sector in Africa, and all over the world where the BRI is in operation, could be one such source."

He added that harmonization of policies and legal frameworks among countries taking part in the BRI is also needed, as a single project could involve several nations.