Slanderous campaign against China-Niger cooperation condemned
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Chinese Ambassador to Niger Xia Huang on Monday denounced "a campaign of attacks and slander" that was being orchestrated against the cooperation between Niger and China.
"For some time now, a campaign of attacks and slander has been orchestrated against the mutual cooperation between Niger and China in general and the two ongoing projects in particular," he declared during a press conference.
These are the projects of uranium exploitation at Azelik in the Agadez region, 900 km north of the capital Niamey, and that of oil exploitation in the Diffa region, 1,400 km northeast of Niamey, with the construction of a refinery at Zinder.
The intoxication campaign is an "assertion that does not respond at all to the reality and one which has a hidden agenda," Xia pointed out.
"Why is it that only the Chinese investments are seen to have negative impacts?" he asked.
"The Nigerien people are eye-witnesses to the benefits of the friendship between the two countries and the direct beneficiaries to the achievements of this multi-form cooperation," the Chinese diplomat said.
To refute these "fallacious and baseless allegations," the Chinese diplomat recalled that oil from African countries to China does not go beyond 13 percent of their total production, while its export to Europe and the United States surpasses 30 percent.
"China is of the view that other countries in the world develop their energy cooperation with African countries on equal basis and reciprocal benefits. But some of them are always opposed to the same by China with Africa," Xia complained.
"To become a friend and a partner of Africans, it is imperative that we take useful and concrete actions instead of engaging in empty rhetoric," he noted.
Despite all these malicious allegations, "China remains steadfast in her African and Nigerien policy, a result oriented policy marked by sincere friendship and substantial cooperation," he pledged.
In addition, the Chinese diplomat recalled the achievements made by his country in Niger under a framework of bilateral cooperation. This includes the construction of the General Seini Kounchte stadium, the Goudel water project, the social housing projects and the installation of Zinder water project.
"Today, China has already accomplished 48 projects in public assistance to Niger, sent there 15 medical missions with over 400 doctors and cancelled the bilateral debts totalling to about 180 million yuan (26.4 million U. S. dollars," he pointed out.
"To this, we can add the big economic projects that have been recently launched and these are the construction of the two bridges in Niamey, petroleum exploitation at Agadem with a refinery at Zinder and the uranium exploitation at Azelik, and many other investments in the health, education and agricultural sectors," according to the Chinese diplomat.
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