China'sBeltandRoadInitiativepaveswayforcommonprosperityinCentralAfrica_GuangmingOnlineThisphototakenonMarch15,2022showsaviewoftheKribiDeepSeaPortinKribi,Cameroon.(PhotobyKepseu/Xinhua)byArisonTamfu,WangZeYAOUNDE,March16(Xinhua)--CentralAfricanleadersmetSaturdayinBangui,thecapitaloftheCentralAfricanRepublic,tocelebratethe30thanniversaryoftheCentralAfricanEconomicandMonetaryCommunity(CEMAC),aregionalbloc,inhopesofhighlightingpastachievementsanddefiningaroadmapforstrengtheningregionalintegration,whilefocusingoneconomicchallengesandgrowthopportunities.WhenCEMACwascreatedin1994,itsmembers--Cameroon,Gabon,EquatorialGuinea,CentralAfricanRepublic,RepublicofCongoandChad--aimedtoenhanceeconomicdevelopmentthroughregionalintegration.Saturday'seventalsoofferedtheleadersanopportunitytoconsiderhowregionalintegrationanddevelopmentcanbeachievedundertheChina-proposedBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI).Sinceitslaunchin2013,theBRIhasbeenwelcomedbyallCEMACcountriesasamodelforcooperationwithChinaininfrastructuredevelopmentandsocioeconomictransformation,saidElvisNgolleNgolle,internationalrelationsexpertandformercabinetmemberoftheCamerooniangovernment."OnceyouarriveintheCEMACsub-region,youwillseeplentyofChinesecompanyinvestmentprojects,"saidNgolle.ROADSTOPROSPERITYThanksinlargeparttoChineseinvestmentsandexpertise,CEMACstateshavebeenblessedwiththeconstructionofsomemajormega-infrastructureprojectsinthetransportsector.AgoodexampleistheKribiDeepSeaPort,builtbyChinaHarborEngineeringCompanyLtd(CHEC)inCameroon'ssoutherntownofKribi.Whilethenewseaport,whichisstrategicallypositionedinthecenteroftheGulfofGuinea,hasstimulatedthecountry'seconomy,ithasbecomearegionalhubfortheAfricanAtlanticcoast."WiththecomingoftheKribiport,Cameroonhasonceagainplacedherselfastheportentrytothesub-region.This(theport)hasaddedmorevalsuetocertainindustrialprojectsinChad,theCentralAfricanRepublicandCongo,"saidAlainPatrickMpilaAyissi,manageroftheLandDevelopmentandEnvironmentDepartmentofthePortAuthorityofKribi.Currently,CHECisbusyconstructingtheKribiDeepSeaportPhaseII.Afterthecompletionoftheproject,itisexpectedtobecomealargecontainertransitportandcomprehensivehubportinCentralandWestAfrica.Aspartoftheproject,CHECalsoconstructedtheKribi-LolabehighwaythatwillcatertotherequirementsoftheporttransportationandlogisticsandmakeacontributiontolocalprosperityjustliketheroadlinkingCameroontoCongo.TheCameroon-Congoroad,constructedbycontractorsincludingSinohydro,aChinesecivilengineeringconstructioncompany,stretches1,600kmfromYaounde,thecapitalofCameroon,toBrazzaville,theCongolesecapital.Ithasbeennicknamedthe"roadofregionalintegration"byauthorities.JamesEssomba,whohasbeensellingmerchandiseinthebordertownofNtam,Cameroon'sEastRegion,saidthatthenewroadisagamechanger."Atfirst,itwasdifficulttogetgoodsfromCongo.Now,bothcountriesthathavelongtradedwithothersoutsidethesub-regionaretradingwitheachother.Wehaveseenaremarkableincreaseintradeandprofit,"saidthe65-year-old.CLEANWATERANDENERGYLaurenceWandji,41,isaprimaryschoolteacherinBafoussam,Cameroon'sthird-largestcity.AbigwatertowerstandsjustafewmetersfromWandji'shome.ThetowerwascontractedtotheChineseconstructioncompanyCGCOCGroup.In2014,CGCOCGrouparrivedandsetouttoconstructawatertreatmentplantandrelatedfacilitiesthatcouldproduce10,000cubicmetersofwaterdailyinthecity.ItwaspartofaprojecttoprovidewatertoninecitiesinCameroon.Currently,residentscanenjoyaround-the-clockwatersupplythankstotheproject."WecannowtakegoodshowersevenindryseasonthankstoChina,"saidWandji."Wecaneasilymanageourdailyactivitieswhichrequirewater.Childrennolongertreklongdistancestofetchwater."ChinahasemergedasacollaboratorinfurtheringCEMACenergygenerationgoalstoo.Thesub-regionstruggleswithlowenergygenerationandhightariffcosts.ConstructedbySinohydro,Memve'eleHydroelectricPowerStation,a211-megawatthydroelectricpowerstationintheNtemValleylocalityinCameroon'sSouthRegion,couldofferasustainablesolution."Oncethedamisfullyoperational,theproblemofelectricitywillbegreatlyreduced.ItisalsocapableofsupplyingelectricitytoneighboringcountriesinCEMACbecauseofthestrongflowoftheriver,"saidAugustineMbah,anenergyconsultant.FOOTBALL(SOCCER)UNITESEveryweekend,mammothcrowdsgatheratLimbeOmnisportStadiumandBafoussamOmnisportStadiuminCameroontowatchlocalleaguematches.ConstructedbyChinaMachineryEngineeringCorporation,thestadiumshavebecomeaveritableunifierforyoungpeopleinthesub-region."ThosestadiumshostedveryimportantmatcheswhenCameroonhostedtheAfricaCupofNationsandUnder-17CentralAfricanfootballtournament.Theybuildlinksamongyouthfromcountriesthroughfootball.TheyareextremelyusefulandwearegratefultoChina,"saidJamesNdukong,afootballanalyst.Critics,however,allegethatChina'sBRIprojectsintheCEMACzonearea"debttrap."AnalystsinsistChina'sinvestmentisgivingamuch-neededboosttotheeconomiesofthecountriesotherwiselargelyignoredbyWesterninvestors."Unlikeothercountries,ChinaisworkingtohelpAfricarestoreinfrastructuresthatareessentialforeconomicrecovery.Theprojectsalsoprovidemassivejobopportunitiesforlocalresidents,"saidNgolle,theinternationalrelationsexpertandformercabinetmemberoftheCamerooniangovernment.Reactingto"debttrap"allegations,Cameroon'sPrimeMinisterJosephDionNgutesaidthatCameroonisasovereigncountryconsciousofitsresponsibilitiesandchoices."Wearenotgoingtolistentoallkindsofsnideremarksbypeoplewhothinktheyknowbetter.Wehaveacountrywehavetodevelopandthatisourresponsibility,"saidNgutewhilevisitingtheconstructionsiteofaChina-fundedwaterplantinYaounde,theCamerooniancapital.XuHuajiang,generalmanagerofChinaHarborCentralAfricaDivisionwhichdesignedandconstructedsomemajorprojectsinCameroonincludingtheKribiDeepSeaportandKribi-LolabeHighway,saidthatglobalizationandregionalizationhavebecomeageneraltrendofdevelopmentandshouldbeembracedbyAfricancountries."Itisnecessarytostrengthenthe'hardconnectivity'ofinfrastructureand'softconnectivity'ofsystemrulesandpromotethefour-in-oneinterconnectionofland,sea,sky,andnetwork,"Xusaid.■ThisphototakenonMarch15,2022showsaviewoftheKribiDeepSeaPortinKribi,Cameroon.(PhotobyKepseu/Xinhua)ThisphototakenonMarch16,2022showsaviewoftheLobedrinkingwatertreatmentplantinthesouthregionofCameroon.(PhotobyKepseu/Xinhua)ThisphototakenonMarch26,2016showsaviewatLimbeOmnisportStadiuminCameroon.(PhotobyKepseu/Xinhua)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.