Premier Wen encourages Chinese companies to contribute to Africa's development
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Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is more than delighted when he talks with African trainees face-to-face and via a video system at the Middle East and North Africa training center of Huawei, a leading Chinese company in communication technology,
"My Chinese name is Hua Mulan," a woman at Huawei's Nigerian training center introduced herself to Premier Wen through the video system.
"I have remembered your name, because it is the name of a famous ancient Chinese heroine," said Wen.
"She is Mulan No. 1, and I'm Mulan No. 2," the woman said. Her witty words triggered fits of laughter.
"Mulan No. 2" said more than 5,000 people have been trained in the center over the past several years. She has visited Huawei's headquarters in south China's booming Shenzhen city, and hopes she can teach Africans the skills she has learned from China.
Wen said "This reflects an important shift for China-Africa cooperation that we are giving priority to personnel training. The African people are brave and intelligent. I believe you can master the modern technologies, and push forward the development of Africa."
On the whole African continent, Huawei, which set up branches in almost every African country, has six training centers, where more than 12,000 people from different African countries have received training on communication technology.
Established in October in Smart village, Cairo, the new Huawei Middle East and North Africa training center has more capacity and more functional training facilities than the old one. The old center, which was established in 2005, has trained about 5,000 people in the past five years.
Wen, who arrived here Friday afternoon for an official visit and the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, visited the training center upon his arrival.
Hend Kiwan, a 33-year-old Egyptian woman, said she gained skills and technical know-how at the training center. She also went on a tour of Huawei's headquarters in Shenzhen before the training started. She is now a human resources manager.
Wen told Kiwan he believes the quality of an enterprise depends on the quality of its employees, therefore an enterprise should attach great importance to training.
Moussa Bousso, a trainee from Senegal told the premier that the teachers at the center are excellent, and the Chinese telecom products, with their low price and fine quality, are very popular among Africans and Chinese enterprises have gained wide acclaim in Africa.
In reply, Wen said he hoped the Chinese enterprises will "teach the trainees the latest and most advanced technology."
Bousso invited Wen to visit Senegal, and Wen thanked his warmhearted invitation.
Ahmed, an Iraqi man who speaks fluent Chinese, expressed his hope that more Chinese enterprises will go to Iraq for businesses after his country restores peace and stability, and he would also have more chance to go to China for training.
"Just like you, I cherish the same hope that Iraq will regain peace as soon as possible," Wen said, adding training has no borders and he believed Ahmed's wish will surely come true.
Via the video system, head of the Huawei South Africa training center who introduced himself as Charles, greeted Wen in Chinese and briefed him on the center.
Wen said he was satisfied that China-Africa ties have gone beyond personnel exchanges and expanded o substantial technological cooperation.
While touring the training center's exhibition hall, Wen saw photos of African farmers making calls with new telephones and Huawei employees making donations for the local people, Wen praised them for doing such good deeds. "You and Africa are growing together," he said.
He encouraged Huawei's managers to tackle training from the broader perspective of China-Africa cooperation, rather than merely the development of their enterprise, and help promote the friendship between Chinese and Africans.
The premier said he expected the new technology, including communication technology, will develop rapidly in Africa and brings a new look to the natural resources-rich continent.
"I will be more than happy that Chinese companies can do their share for the development of Africa," Wen said.
