CIDCA vice-chairman speaks at Indian Ocean Commission summit roundtable

Zhao Fengtao, vice-chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), spoke at a roundtable on food security and sovereignty, maritime connectivity and regional trade at the fifth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in the Madagascan capital of Tananarive on April 24. 

In his speech, Zhao said China has always attached great importance to international development cooperation with Africa, and has been proactively implementing the ten partnership actions proposed at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. He added that the CIDCA-hosted China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy Development Cooperation has driven pragmatic cooperation between China and countries in the Indian Ocean region, including IOC member states, in area such as food security, blue economy, connectivity, disaster prevention and reduction, and climate change response, building resilience and food security capabilities.

Looking ahead, Zhao said the CIDCA would thoroughly implement the concepts of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era and a maritime community with a shared future, and strengthen all-round cooperation with IOC member states in food security and maritime connectivity. 

Efforts will be made to strengthen alignment on agricultural development planning, and provide technical support to enhance food production capabilities. A land-sea connectivity network will be built to facilitate regional connectivity for the integrated regional development. Cooperation on disaster prevention and reduction will be enhanced to improve climate change response capacity, while bilateral and multilateral coordination will be reinforced to pool development forces, he said.  

As the first observer to the IOC, China will continue to carry out the blue talent initiative in the Indian Ocean region, and strengthen communication on state governance and talent cultivation cooperation in a bid to enhance self-development capabilities of the countries in the region, he concluded. 

President of Madagascar Andry Rajoelina, French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani, President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan, Prime Minister of Mauritius Navin Ramgoolam, and IOC Secretary-General Edgard Razafindravahy also spoke at roundtable meetings of the summit.