'China can learn from India's manpower training in Africa'

China may have bigger trade and investments in Africa but it can learn from India's approach of manpower training and technical support to African people, a Chinese daily said today, highlighting India's big push into Africa by holding the biggest summit of African countries.
"China can also learn from India's experiences of providing assistance to Africa", an article in the Global Times said advocating a "benign" competition can held New Delhi and Beijing.
"India pays more attention to technical support and personnel training. China is more focused on large-scale projects and infrastructure construction. On that score, New Delhi's approach is worth to be learned by Beijing," the state-run daily said.

"A benign competition between China and India over Africa will actually do both some good. For example, Beijing and New Delhi have already created a model in energy development, in which China, India, Malaysia and Sudan work together for joint ventures to better avoid malignant competition," the daily said.
So far, India is devoting itself to promoting a strategy of diversifying its energy sources, and China might lend a helping hand, it said.
"Although there are differences and divergences between China and India on aiding Africa, there are many overlaps of interests. The two should uphold the principle of seeking common ground while reserving differences, and provide assistance to the continent in a more open-minded and cooperative way," it added.

"Only through that approach can the two realise benefit sharing and win-win cooperation in Africa" it said.

Last week's summit in New Delhi with 40 African Presidents and Prime Ministers among top officials from 54 countries caught the attention of China which in recent made big forays in the African continent diluting American and European Union influence.
While Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang played down the prospects of rising competition between India and Chinain Africa, India's Africa summit has been prominently featured by the Chinese media.
"The statement circulating around about competition between India and China. The fact is China and India have sound relationship because we share common interests," Lu said.

The article in Global Times, written by Wang Dehua, Director of the state run Institute for the Southern and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Municipal Centre for International Studies said close collaboration with African countries will not only safeguard India's maritime security, but also help monitor other nations' military actions in the Indian Ocean.