African nations must understand massive opportunities created by Belt and Road Initiative: Expert

The 'tremendous' opportunities created by the Belt and Road Initiative must be identified by the African countries, according to an expert's view given on the sidelines of Belt and Road Initiative.

Anil Sooklal, deputy director general of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, told delegates that the benefits of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative would not be limited to the construction of railways, bridges and other projects.

"The Belt and Road Initiative must be seen as a holistic attempt in terms of bringing the global community together. The BRI looks at infrastructure, capacity building, human development and technologies," he said, adding that with the world moving towards industrial revolution, its role would be significant.

Dr Yazini April, a research specialist with the South African country's Human Science Research Council, said the development of air transport was one of the priorities of the BRI, particularly in Africa. "The BRI promises to be an engine for a new wave of globalization that is fundamental to the global industrial chain," she said. She added that "local content development is key and could be done through (the) BRI in South Africa so that we don't just make small planes, but effectively take part in the global industry," as reported by Xinhua.

Dr. Philani Mthembu with the University of South Africa said that the BRI could be a solution to some of the global issues that the world is dealing with. "The initiative comes at a crucial time in geopolitics where there's a crisis in multilateralism and globalization," he said.

Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian said that the initiative is about promoting win-win cooperation and building prosperity with the rest of the world. A book named "the Belt and Road Initiative: alternative development path for Africa" was also launched at the seminar, Xinhua noted.

A number of scholars from across the world have contributed to the book which looks at different ways that Africa could unlock development potential and attract investment for infrastructure through the BRI.

Also Read: China sees Africa as big market, Belt and Road Initiative to stimulate Africa's growth: Economist