Cotonou — China plans to build a centre for agricultural research and technological demonstration near Bamako, Mali, to carry out experiments and technical training, and to contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture in the country, according to an agreement between the two governments announced last month (11 July).
The announcement came ahead of the fifth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing (19-20 July), at which the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, pledged to build further agricultural technology demonstration centres and to expand scientific collaboration with Africa.
The centre - to be built this year on a 20 hectare site in Baguinéda in the region of Koulikoro, 40 kilometres from the country's capital, Bamako - will focus on developing rice, maize and horticultural production.
It will be built at an estimated cost of 55 million Chinese yuan (around US$8.6 million), with a loan from China.
Anastase Hessou Azontondé, head of the soil science, water and environment laboratory at the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Benin (INRAB), said the centre would use Chinese funds to "bring to Mali technologies developed by Chinese talent and experience".
It is part of China's soft power diplomacy and research strategy, according to Azontondé, who said: "The results will be most useful to Africa".
Speaking at FOCAC, Chinese leader, Hu Jintao, said that that China had built over 100 schools, 30 hospitals, 30 anti-malarial centres and 20 agricultural technology demonstration facilities across the African continent.
China "will build more agricultural technology demonstration centres [...] to help African countries increase production capacity," Hu added.
Euloge Agbossou, a professor of agricultural sciences and director of the Laboratory of Hydraulics and Water Management at the University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, said "the proliferation of research centres is not a bad thing".
"But the various research centres must specialise to allow a good mix of researchers and scientists around a given theme," he said.
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AFRICA WILL NO DOUBT SUCCEED WITH FREINDS ;NOT RULERS OR MISCHIEMAKERS. AFRICA MUST DISTINGUISH WHO IS FREIND FROM FOE. A FREIND IS FOR LIFE THAT IS WHEN YOU ARE DOWN OR WHEN YOU ARE UP. A FREIND DOES NOT PUT YOU DOWN UNDERMINE YOU BULLY CHANGE YOU, THAT IS NOT FREINDSHIP THAT IS BULLYISM COMPLEXES THOSE WHO FEEL THEY ARE BETTER THAN YOU. WHAT IS AMAZING ABOUT THOSE WHO LIKE TO BULLY IS THAT THEY ARE NOTHING BUT LOSERS, LOOK THEY HOW FAR THEY WANT TO GO TO FIND ANSWERS TO LIFE TO SHOW YOU THEY ARE NOT REAL. THEY WOULD PREFER TO SPEND TRILLIONS OF THE MONEY SYSTEM THEY MADE UP TO BUILD MACHINES TO GO TO MARS. MARS ! WHAT THE HELL IS ON MARS I HEAR AFRICANS TRYING TO SOUND INTELIGENT SPEAKING ABOUT FUTURE RESEARCH AND HOW IT COULD HELP . THAT IS MORE THAN ARROGANT WASTE OF MENTALITY WHEN THE CAPACITY TO EMPOWER HUMANITY ELLIMINATE HUNGER FAMINE POVERTY UNEQUALITY IS OF GREATER PRECEDENCE THAN SPENDING TRILLION STO DISCOVER SOMETHINGT HAT IS THERE NAD CAN NOT SERVE US OR WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TRAVEL THERE AND COLONISE THIS PLANET. WHAT THEY DO NOT KNOW IS THAT EVERYTHING IN THIS UNIVERSE IS FOR A REASON THERFE IS NOTHING DONE WITHOUT DERSIGN . WE WERE DECREED TO FULFILL CERTAIN TASK ON EARTH AND THE EXPECTATIONS HAS BEEN NEAR TO ZERO MANKIND HAS ABUSED THIER STAY IN LIFE THEY WONT FIND ETERNITY ON MARS SO IT IS A WSASTE OF MONEY BRAIN POWER IT SI NOTHING BUT ARROGANTS. WE NEED TO WAKE UP AND HEAR THE MESSAGE WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HUMANITY WHAT IS OUR TRUE DESTINY. WE KNOW ITS NOT ABOTU WESTERN IDEOLOGY THAT HAS FAILED MISERABLY ITS CORRUPT DYSFUBNCTIONAL AND A ABOMINATION2. WHO IS ORU MASTER AND GUIDE IS IT THE WIND THE SUN THE STARS THE MOON ? WE KNOW FORM OUR ANCESTORS THAT HUMAN BEINSG WERE OBLIGATED TO A SUPERIRO BEING WHO MANIFESTED HIMSELF AS CREATOR OF ALL THINSG ; WE WERE ASKED TO SIMPLY REVERE THIS ENTITITY SO THAT WE COUDL ENJOY THE FRUITS OF ETERNITY. HE GAVE TO US A PHYSICAL CONDUIT SO THAT WQE MAY DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE WILLING TO LIVE BY A CERTAIN MORAL STANDARD THAT WAS DESIGNED TO WEED OUT THOSE WHO WERE BAD MINDED SELFISH CORRUPT AND WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE PRACTISES THAT "OUR LORD" DEMANDED WAS COMPLIMENTARY TO THE WORLD THAT HE BUILT. WHAT HE DEMONSTRATED WAS THAT HE WOULD GIVE US SUCH EMPOWERMENT THAT WE WOULD BE NEAR TO PERFECTION AS THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE WOULD RECIEVE WOULDBE PERPETUAL AS "HIS POWERS ARE EVER STRONG EVER SURE EVER LIVING" KNOWLEDGE IS THE GIFT OF LIFE WHAT WE DO WITH KNOWLEDGE IS WHERE WE HAVE DEFEATED OUR OWN PURPOSES. TODAY WE MUST SIGHT INNER SELF FIRST WEIGH OUR CHANCES OF LIFE. BROTHERS AND SISTERS DO NOT LOOK LEFT RIGHT AND FOLLOW THE STEPS OF LOSERS THIER DECENT IS INTO THE FURNACE OF LOST SOULS!! THIS IS NOT A FAIRY TALE OUR ANCESTYORS DID NOT SPEAK OUT OF FOOLISH SUPERSTITION THEY TAUGHT THE LESSONS OF GENIUSES THEY WERE SCULPTORS ARCHITECTS SCIENTIST MINERS THEY WERE REFINERS HAVE YOU SEEN THE ART FO WHAT WAS CONTRIVED WITH GODL THEY WERE METALOGIST. LET US BE CAREFUL HOW WE PERCEIVE OUR FOREFATHERS . THRYE LEFT LESSONS FOR US TO BE GUIDED BY THEY WERE MIS READ MISINTERPRETED AND REWRITTEN TO PERPETUATE FRAUD. HOW EVER " OUR MAJESTY" HAS CONSIDERED ALL THESE THINSG AND HAS SET A PETTERN FOR US TO RECOGNISE WHAT IS TRUE FROM WHAT IS FICTIONAL; LET US BE CLEAR THERE IS NO NEED FOR HIM TO SHOW ANYTHING OR GIVE YOU ANY SIGNS BUT ONE THING IS SURE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SIGNS THAT VEEN THE DEAD SOULS ARE ALIVE WITH HIS GLORY"THE POWER OF HIS MAJESTY IS HERE ON EARTH WE DO NOT HAVE TO LOOK ON MARS TO FIND THE ANSWERS. THE DISCOVERIES ARE IN YOUR HEART!! YOU ARE DESOLATE BARREN THE RED PLANET HWERE ITS IS DOOM NOTHING BUT DEATH WHERE NO ONE LIVES THE FREE SPRINGS OF LIFE ARE HERE ONE ARTH YET THE THEY SEEK TO LLOK FOR WATER WHERE DESOLATION IS ITS NAME. ARE YOU GETTYING THE PICTURE YET" WAKE UP TIME!!! WHAT FOLLY TYHEY PRETEND AND WE HAVE THOSE OF US THAT THINK BECAUSE THEY ARE4 YEA PEOPLE HEAD BOWERS TONGUE WAGGERS THAT THEY WILL ENTER THE WIZE RIVERS OF ETERNAL LIFE !!!?? THEY WILL ENETER THE BARREN REGIONS OF DESOLATION THAT THEY THOIUGHT WOULD GIVE THEM LIFE AND KNWOLEDGE . THE GERAT EARTH HAS MANY MIRACLES THAT THEY STILL CAN NOT FATHOME YET THEY SPEND ENERGY TRILLIONS FO MONEY THAT IS NOT GOOD MONEY ALL THE WEALTH THEY STEAL THEY HAVE WEALTH THEY STOLE FROM THE DAYS OF ROME STRAIGHT TILL TODAY, THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING WITH IT THEY HAVE PROVED THEMLEVES TO BE WORTHLESS NEGATIVE INMFLUINCES FAR REMOVED FROM WHOM ARE CHOSEN TO ENTER THE GOLDEN SPRINGS OF ETERNAL WEALTH OF SAlVATION"THE WAR MONEGRS THE THIEVES THOSE WHO DONT LIVE FOR HUMANITY THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO DENY THE TRUTH . THOSE WHO WHEN THEY SEE TRUTH THEY REFUSE TO RECOGNISE IT THEY WILL THEN UISE THE TRUTH TURN IT AROND MAKE IT IMPLAUSIBLE THEN REMAKE IT WITH THIER PARTICULAR VERSION OF WHAT THEY WANT THE TRUTH TO BE. AT ALL TIMES THIER FOUNDATIONS ARE WEAK SENSELS DEROGATORY INSANE AND FAR REMOVED FROM THE PRINCIPLES OF CULTURE RIGHTEOUSNESS UPLIFTMENT. THE CHINESE HAVE EMBARKED UPON NOT JUST SOFT POWER BUT FREINDSHIP THAT IS DIFFERNT THAN SOFT POWER . SOFT POWER AS IT IS DEFINED IS ONLY LOOKING TO GAIN FAVOUR WHAT IS THE SENSE OF THAT? FREINDHSIP IS UNIQUE ITS ALL WEATHER ITS NOT DECIETFUL NOR UNKINDIST A HAND SHAKE OF UPLIFTMENT ENCOURAGEMENT SOLIDARITY UPFRONT"" THAT IS ATRUE FREIND. WHAT IS SOFT POWER ITS A FALSE TOUUCH ASNEAKY GRIN BULLYISM UNDERMINING ARROGANT SELFISH OVERBEARING UNDERHANDED CORRUPTED ROTTEN TO THE CORE.AFRICA WAS USED BY THOSE WHO LOVES TO SE AFRICA IN TURMOIL THOSE WHO ALWAYS WANTS HNOT FOR IMPROVEMENT BUT FOR CONQUEST TAKERS THIEVES PIRATES LOOTERS PILLAGERS FRAUDSTERS DEGENERATE MISCREANTS VAGABONDS. THOSE ARE WHOM WE MUST THINK TWICE BEFORE WE SAY YES. TODAY WE MUST BUILD WITH THOSE WHO ARE BUILDERS MULTIPLY WHAT WE HAVE, SPREAD THE KNWOLEDGE FO CONSCIOUSNES RIGHETOUSNESS UPFULNESS THESE ARE WHAT WORKS THESE NEVER EVER TUMBLE DOWN THESE STEPS ARE EVERLIVING. EACH ONE TEACH ONE CORRUPTION WE CAN SEE FAILS MISERABLY ITS LIEK A CURSE A DOOM FOR EVER MISERY NO COMFORT A WORLD OF LIES DECEPTIONS THSI CANNOT FULFILL THE DESTINY THAT IS AFRICAS. CHOOSE !