Africa has a wealth of lessons to learn from China’s rise, and its approach to development is a far cry from the continent’s traditional Western partners, according to Dennis Munene, Director of the African Policy Institute.

Speaking at the African Mainstream Media Workshop in Beijing, an event designed to boost media ties and reshape how China is portrayed globally, Munene did not mince words about the historical role of Western powers. He pointed out that while countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and European nations built their own wealth, often using Africa’s raw minerals to do it, the economic prescriptions they pushed onto African nations were entirely different.

Munene specifically highlighted the Structural Adjustment Programs of the late 20th century, which crippled local economies across the continent. According to him, what makes China’s approach different is the willingness to share its practical development blueprint, rather than imposing external policies that do more harm than good.

–ChannelAfrica–