BEIJING (Halbeeg News)– Somali trade minister, Mohamed Abdi Hayir Mareye is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation which opened on Thursday in Beijing.
The initiative launched by President Xi in 2013 seeks to strengthen Chinese global dominance through more than $1 trillion investment in infrastructure.
The forum will review the progress so far and set the direction for the next five years, with a central focus on the “quality” of projects.
The minister and his delegation are expected to hold talks with leaders participating in the forum on the sidelines of the summit.
The forum is also attended Somali minister for planning Gamal M. Hassan.
Minister Gamal is expected to take this opportunity to exchange ideas and meet business partners from different countries.
He will talk with Chinese senior officials, business executives on how to further boost China-Somalia collaboration.
A total of 37 foreign leaders are due to attend the April 25-27 summit, though the United States is only sending lower-level representatives, reflecting its unease over the scheme.
The number of foreign leaders at the April 25-27 summit is up from 29 last time, mainly from China’s closest allies like Pakistan and Russia but also Italy, Switzerland, and Austria.
The strategy will be reviewed at the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and will be attended by the UN secretary general, António Guterres, the International Monetary Fund head, Christine Lagarde.
In Africa, China invests majorly on transport and energy with Nigeria, Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia among the largest partners in the BRI.
In 2018, President Xi, during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), pledged $60 billion in financial support to Africa as part of the country’s engagement with the continent in the next three years.
In 2015, Beijing has made a similar commitment of $60 billion to Africa.
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