Date:             3 December 2019
Time:             09h30
Venue:           Sheraton Pretoria, South Africa

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the China-Africa Institute (CAI)will hold a dialogue on Governance and Socioeconomic Development in China and Africa to be held at the Sheraton Hotel, Pretoria on 3 December at 09h30.

The conference is aimed at discussing key issues including building governance capacity, urbanisation, industrial development, innovation and social policies necessary to address challenges related to poverty, inequality and unemployment. The discussion will shed light on the cooperation in governance and socioeconomic development between China and Africa.

The one-day conference follows a resolution taken merely a year ago at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation’s (FOCAC) Beijing Summit in 2018, where Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would establish the China-Africa Institute (CAI) to enhance and facilitate exchanges and cooperation with institutions in Africa.

Ever since its inception, the CAI’s main aims have been to deepen exchanges between the respective countries’ civilizations and promote communication on experiences of governance and development between China and African countries. It also seeks to provide intellectual support for the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Africa community with a shared future. The CAI is sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Its inaugural conference was held in Beijing on 9 April 2019.

During this year’s conference, the “Exchange Mechanism on the Experience of Governance between China and Africa” will be launched, under which the two sides will organise thematic seminars, joint research projects, conduct training programmes and co-publish research outcomes. The CAI will provide support for activities under the mechanism.

Delegates attending the Pretoria conference will comprise scholars and experts at important research institutes and think tanks, as well as guests from government departments and business circles from both China and Africa. Among them will be the President of CASS, HSRC CEO as well as the Directors General and experts from the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies, National Academy of Social Development Strategy, National Academy of Economic Strategy, Institute of Population and Labor Economics, as well as the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies.

The three main topics to be discussed are:

•    Building governance capacity
•    Urbanisation, industrial development and innovation
•    Social policy to address the challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment