China-Africa Summit : President Paul Biya Ensures Concrete Action

Giving assurances on the business climate in Cameroon, finding out difficulties faced in sectors where they operate, and instructing on directives to guarantee better results could summarise the content of the audiences that President Paul Biya granted to Chinese companies on 7 September, 2024 in Beijing. The audiences followed the conclusion of the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Conference (FOCAC) that ended on 6 September, 2024. A concluding note of FOCAC being the 8th Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs that held at the China National Convention Center, it was but proper that the Head of State should have a one-on-one encounter with investors that have bestowed their confidence in Cameroon. It not only gave him the opportunity to assess the evolution of their activities in the country, but also served as an occasion to assure them that their investments are at the right place. Consequently, for three hours non-stop from 4:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. in Beijing (9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. in Yaounde), the Head of State received high-level officials from the Huawei Technologies Company Group, Star Times, China Tianying Incorporated, China Liyu Gas Power Company and China Harbour Engineering Company. While Minister Emmanuel Nganou Ddjoumessi joined the Head of State during the first three audiences, the interim Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development Fuh Calistus Gentry assisted in the last two audiences.

Huawei Technologies Company: ICTs Sector Development
Collin Hu, Senior Vice President of the Group, is actually in charge of the Enterprise and Cloud Business segment in Huawei. He led the first delegation to meet President Paul Biya at 4:30 P.M. As an introductory part of the discussions, President Paul Biya appreciated China-Africa cooperation saying it has much benefit to both parties.
Speaking after the audience, Mr Hu noted that they have been in Cameroon for the past 20 years with 300 local staff. Over the last six years, Huawei has trained 6,000 students in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and they are delivering on some national projects which the company is proud of. Huawie runs “Seeds For The Future” project for youth interested in the ICTs sector. Also, they have been into some rural electrification projects in villages and Mr Hu said their fulfilment comes from the joy that they give to those who are now happy to get electricity in the hinterlands. So far Huawei, according to the official, already covers 487 localities out of the 1,000 that they intend to reach out to. A project that the Head of State gave them the green light to implant in the country during the last FOCAC in 2018 in Beijing. This is an acknowledgement of the key role that communication infrastructure plays in the development of the country. Conscious of the fact that Cameroon still has a long way to go, President Paul Biya definitely found it imperative to size-up the road covered by Huawei and to give them his blessings for further areas of investments.  They are involved in the Digital Economy, security surveillance equipment, energy transportation and are doing everything to provide facilities in the country for the various points of concern where they have the experience.

Star Times Group: Improvement of Digital Images
With several visits to Cameroon already and audiences granted by the Head of State, Xinxing Pang, Board Chair of Star Times came again to meet President Paul Biya for an evaluation of progress made by his company in the digitalisation process of the Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV). Coming from his head office located at N0. 5 Compound, Kechuang 14th Street down town Beijing, Xinxing braved the heavy traffic in Beijing to concert with the Head of State. Speaking through a translator after the audience with the President, he expressed joy at the meeting saying it permitted him to present the level of progress made in rehabilitating CRTV equipment especially the fact that their views and those of President Biya converged concerning the positive steps taken so far. Using their internal funding, Mr Xinxing said they were able to rehabilitate the Logbessou Pylon that collapsed in 2014. They have finalised a project to provide digital televisions images in the towns of Yaounde and Douala and with the entire transformation of the technical facilities of the national broadcaster, Star Times Group hopes to provide social wellbeing in households and economic development in Cameroon. He noted that the Head of State appreciates the technical offers that Star Times has made in Cameroon especially since they cover both urban and rural localities in the country. Thus, Star Times wants to ensure the beauty of digital television throughout Cameroon. Plans to get solar energy into the package which they are offering would in their opinion give greater satisfaction to those consuming television images in the country.

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