Scholar says China understands the continent's need for development better
Chinese media outlets are changing the way the world sees Africa.
Online platforms are fast becoming the venue of choice for African nations to broaden their social participation and connections with China and the rest of world.
Making a difference is not easy, but certainly possible if one is determined, seems to be the motto driving China-Africa media cooperation, with the prime objective being to counter the biased, distorted reporting of Western news organizations with balanced, objective reporting.
At a recent conference in Berlin where the impact of the rising BRICS countries on media development was discussed, Shi Anbin, a professor from Tsinghua University in Beijing coined the term "charm defensive" referring to China's increased involvement in Africa's media.
In the past, Africans got to know about China and its economic and investment projects in Africa mainly through media from the West and the Middle East. China-Africa relations in large part were defined from the perspective of a third-party media.
Employment prospects still good for trained african talent in China's tough job market.
Chinese companies will employ more foreigners abroad in a bid to boost local expertise in an increasing number of overseas operations.
In the 12 years I have lived in Beijing, bilateral trade between Africa and China has ballooned from $10 billion in 2001 to more than $220 billion. But such statistics, the pride of government officials and business consultants, are meaningless to ordinary Africans looking for a better life.
Understanding and appreciating finer cultural nuances can help expatriates succeed in China
Chinese troops help UN maintain lives and livelihood in conflict-ridden African nations.
In their UN peacekeeping missions, Chinese military doctors and nurses need to heal people's minds as well as their bodies.