The 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) will focus on three main agenda: economic transformation and improvements in business environment and institution through private investment and innovation, promotion of resilient and sustainable society for human security and peace and stability (support for Africa’s own proactive efforts)
By Reiji Yoshida (The Japan Times)
The seventh meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) is set to open in Yokohama on Wednesday amid an intensifying race between China and other countries to expand their presence in Africa’s rapidly growing economies.
Dozens of top African leaders are coming to Yokohama, but the Foreign Ministry has said it will not release the number of expected African guests coming to the three-day summit meeting. The reason: Tokyo is worried that some leaders may cancel their trip right before the summit because of direct or indirect pressure from China, a senior Foreign Ministry official said recently.
“You can’t tell how many leaders will come until TICAD starts,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Tokyo’s concern highlights the intensifying race on the continent among many countries, including Japan, China and Russia, to expand their presence there.
The United Nations now predicts that the total population of Africa will hit 2.5 billion in 2050, meaning one in every four people in the world will be African.
In addition, from 2000 through 2017, African countries enjoyed relatively high real economic growth of 4.3 percent on average, which has prompted many Western firms to believe in the future potential of African economies.
“Africa is an important region both politically and economically. That perception is now shared” by top political and business leaders of the world, said Shinichi Takeuchi, professor and head of the African Studies Center at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
“It’s certain that a huge market will be formed in Africa,” he said.
Over the past 10 years, China has emerged as a powerful political and economic player in Africa, already having surpassed Japan by far in terms of both government development assistance and private-sector investment.
Meanwhile, Russia is now set to organize a similar summit meeting with top African leaders in October.
Mitsugi Endo, a University of Tokyo professor and noted expert on African politics, said that Moscow appears to be trying to expand its clout in Africa while U.S. President Donald Trump remains totally indifferent toward African affairs.
Read the complete story at The Japan Times
- The government of Japan has been leading TICAD since 1993, co-hosted by United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank and African Union Commission (AUC). TICAD7 will be held on 28th – 30th August, 2019 at Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama City, Japan.