The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative brings positive impetus for Ethiopia and other African countries in terms of both its financing and the geographical area it covers

1. Belt and Road Initiative
Opportunities and Challenges For
Africa(Ethiopia) Youths
By: Belayneh Zelelew
Ethio-China People Friendship Association
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2. Introduction
Contents
• Introduction
• BRI Benefits
• Opportunities
• Challenges
• Opportunities for Ethiopia Youths
• Draft new project
• Conclusion
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3. Introduction
The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative
brings positive impetus for Ethiopia and other
African countries in terms of both its financing
and the geographical area it covers..
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4. Con’t
• More than any other nation in Africa, Ethiopia
is the first beneficiary of the initiative through
the Addis Ababa-Djibouti rail link.
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5. Con’t
• Ethiopia - as one of the countries cooperating
with China in the implementation of the
initiative - had in fact years ago accomplished
the 500-million-dollar Addis Ababa-Adama
expressway that has become the first
expressway in Ethiopia and East Africa.
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6. Con’t
• The 85-km expressway, which was
inaugurated in May 2014, was funded partly
by the Export-Import Bank of China and built
by China Communications Construction
Company using Chinese technology and
standards.
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7. BRI Benefits
• The industrial parks, the new airports and
potentially the Eritrean ports that are now
accessible to Ethiopia can also further benefit
from the initiative,
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8. Con’t
• According to Ethiopian scholar Dr. Costantinos
“ the initiative has emphasized infrastructure
projects such as railways, highways, and
airways, and it has brought various
opportunities for Africa's infrastructure
development over the past few years.”
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9. Con’t
• The initiative for its target to economically
integrate the countries through connectivity
projects.
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10. Con’t
• Industrial and agricultural technology and
knowledge transfer initiatives for structural
transformation in Ethiopia, as well as
• how Ethiopia can better utilize natural
resources for the contrary's development.
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11. Opportunities
• Tremendous size and scope.
• If BRI projects are successful, benefit a large
number of poor people(youths) and huge
swaths of the world’s economies, with large
positive spillover effects on global welfare.
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12. Con’t
• Large unexploited potential.
• If successful, the BRI could contribute to fill
d/t gaps, boosting international commerce,
particularly for countries that have been
unable to fully integrate in the world
economy.
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14. Con’t
• Improving connectivity.
• BRI projects stand to make trade easier in
some of the world’s most important
economic
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15. Challenges
• Policy barriers create thick borders.
• In terms of starting a foreign business,
accessing industrial land, and arbitrating
commercial disputes.
• This is why policy reform and cooperation
must complement infrastructure projects
to boost connectivity.
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16. Con’t
• Risks involved with major infrastructure
projects.
• There are potential environmental, social,
and corruption risks associated with any
large infrastructure project.
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17. Con’t
• Macro risks.
• For some countries, the financing required
for BRI projects may expand debt to
unsustainable levels.
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19. Con’t
• Belt and Road cooperation, further strengthen
the forward-looking China-Africa
comprehensive strategic and cooperative
partnership, and
• build an even stronger China-Africa
community with a shared future for the
benefits of both peoples.
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20. Con’t
• The ten cooperation plans(FOCAC) already
adopted, launch eight major initiatives
including
1. an industrial promotion initiative,
2. an infrastructure connectivity initiative,
3. a trade facilitation initiative,
4. a green development initiative,
5. a capacity building initiative,
6. a health care initiative,
7. a people-to-people exchange initiative and
8. a peace and security initiative
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21. Con’t
• Cultural and people-to-people exchange mainly focus
youth and women. China supports Africa's
development of human resources will continue to
implement
• Youth exchange programs and will invite 2,000 young
Africans to visit China for exchanges to promote
mutual visits of young people.
• To promote employment and capacity-building,
• China will continue to carry out poverty alleviation
experience sharing and
• Small-and-micro livelihoods projects for young people
in African countries, so that more young Africans will
be a part of China-Africa cooperation.
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22. Con’t
• Ten Luban Workshops will be set up in Africa to
provide vocational training for young Africans. (The
project is named after LU ban, the father of Chinese architecture from around
the 4th century B.C)
• China will support opening of a China-Africa
innovation cooperation center to promote youth
innovation and entrepreneurship. And,
• continue to send young volunteers to Africa in
areas of concerns to African countries.
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Djibouti

23. • Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech
during the closing session of the National
People's Congress
"We are ready to make a greater contribution to support cultural
diversity in the world, with a target of exchange programmes in
culture, arts, education, sports, think tanks and media, focusing
on young people to strengthen the bond between the people of
China and Africa.”
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24. Con’t
• Ethio-China People’s Friendship Association
plan
• To share China development experience
for Ethiopia Youths,
• motivate Ethiopian youth to play a
great role for the development of our
country.
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25. Studying Kenyan SEZs, described the
positions for locals as
“dead-end jobs”
that offered little room for promotion
or career development.
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26. •Many Africans are trained in China. Chinese
experts are also contributing to the
development endeavors of the continent.
Therefore, BRI would continue to be an
important instrument in the diplomatic ties
between our country (continent) and China.
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27. Con’t
• I hope to help policymakers in our countries
assess the effects of the BRI and identify
policies and institutions that will maximize its
opportunities and mitigate the risks.
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