The 472-kilometer Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway built by China Road and Bridge Corporation is launched on May 30, 2017. Photo: VCG

The grand dams, whistling trains, bustling stadiums, magnificent parliament buildings, and various factories - these impressive projects of China-Africa cooperation have not only become landmarks across the African continent but also stand as symbols of the enduring friendship between the China and African countries.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) 2024 is scheduled to be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6.

Since the 2021 FOCAC, China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has continued to reach new heights, delivering tangible benefits to the people of both China and Africa, an official from the Ministry of Commerce said on August 20, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

A series of cooperative projects, such as the Lekki port in Nigeria and the Nairobi expressway in Kenya, have been completed over the past three years. Over the past 10 years, Chinese companies have signed more than $700 billion worth of contracts for projects in Africa, the official mentioned.

"To get rich, build roads first." Launched in 2017, the 472-kilometer Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has drastically reduced travel time and emerged as the preferred choice for commuters in Kenya, playing a pivotal role in stimulating commerce and empowering smaller towns along its corridor.

In Sudan, the China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE) undertook the construction of the Merowe Dam, Roseires Dam Heightening Project, and Dam Complex of Upper Atbara Project, which have become "China-Arab friendly landmarks." The Merowe Dam, standing 67 meters high and stretching about 9.7 kilometers long, is the world's longest dam.

In 2019, these three projects collectively appeared as the background for Sudan's newly issued 100 Sudanese pound banknotes.

According to the white paper, China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals, Chinese companies over the last quarter century have helped African countries build or upgrade more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of highways, roughly 1,000 bridges, almost 100 ports and 66,000 kilometers of power transmission and distribution lines.

Global Times

Smoke billows from the cooling tower at the coal fired power-generator built with a Chinese company on August 3, 2023, in Hwange, Zimbabwe. The newly commissioned expansion generates 600MW easing power outages in the country. Photo: VCG

 

The Dam Complex of Upper Atbara Project , the Roseires Dam Heightening Project and the Merowe Dam are collectively appeared as the background for Sudan’s newly issued 100 Sudanese pound banknotes. Photos: Courtesy of the CWE

 

The Dam Complex of Upper Atbara Project , the Roseires Dam Heightening Project and the Merowe Dam are collectively appeared as the background for Sudan’s newly issued 100 Sudanese pound banknotes. Photos: Courtesy of the CWE

 

The Dam Complex of Upper Atbara Project , the Roseires Dam Heightening Project and the Merowe Dam are collectively appeared as the background for Sudan’s newly issued 100 Sudanese pound banknotes. Photos: Courtesy of the CWE

 

A bridge connecting Maputo and Katembe in Maputo, Mozambique, opens on November 11, 2018. The bridge, constructed by China at a cost of $785 million, is expected to help connect the northern and southern regions of Africa. Photo: VCG

 

Chinese workers engange in work conversation at the Kingfisher oil field in Kikuube district, Uganda on January 24, 2023. Photo: VCG

 

People sing as the ride on a new Lagos Blue Line train service built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, September 4, 2023. Photo: VCG

 

The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway passes through Nairobi National Park on a fully elevated track, ensuring that wildlife can safely cross beneath the railway in Nairobi, Kenya. The photo is taken on December 5, 2018. Photo: VCG