(this is part 2 of a 7-part series, see Part 1 , Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Part 7 here)

On 27 March 2019, the Africa Practice at Specht & Partner co-organized the Ambassadors Breakfast meeting on “Africa China Europe with focus on One Belt, One Road (OBOR)”.

The Breakfast meeting was co-organized with the Austrian Chinese Business Association (ACBA) and Society Magazin. Our panelists included H. E. Mrs Faouzia Mebarki, Ambassador of Algeria, H.E Mr Li Xiosi Ambassador of the Republic of China, H.E. Mrs Vivian Nwunaku Rose Okeke Ambassador of Nigeria, Mr M. Elyes Lakhal, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of Tunisia, Univ. Prof Dr, Adams Bodomo, and Mr DI Omar Al-Rawi member of the Local Council of Vienna, and Chairman of the Strabag Works Council. The meeting was well attended by members of the corporate, diplomatic, and NGO community interested in the OBOR project.

The Panel Discussion

One of the guest panelists at the breakfast was the Honorable Ambassador from China to Austria, Li Xiosi. In 1985 Li began working in the foreign ministry of Peking. Since then, as a specialist in European politics of German-speaking countries, his career has taken him to the embassies of German-speaking countries in Europe. Li first came to Austria as the mission chief of the Chinese embassy in Vienna in fall 2016 after working for many years in Germany and Switzerland.

Talk of H.E. Ambassador Mr Li Xiosi at the Ambassadors Breakfast meeting – Africa China Europe with focus on One Belt, One Road

Mr. Li opened the discussion with an overview of the relationship between Africa and China and how through China’s own internal reforms and initiatives such as OBOR, the historic relations between Africa and China is deepened and strengthened for mutual benefit. He explained that China’s Africa policy is based on the guiding principles of friendship, substantial and concrete cooperation based on actual facts and not empty promises. China’s involvement in Africa both through OBOR and several other investments in industry and infrastructure projects has been consistently met with harsh criticism and animosity from Africa’s traditional partners in Europe and in the Western World, in general. Mr. Li believes that such interference is based mainly on fears that African countries are distancing themselves from the Western style political and developmental model, preferring more the Chinese Model.

To learn more about the Ambassadors Breakfast meeting – Africa China Europe with focus on One Belt, One Road, please visit the other articles in our series:

Part 1: Dr. Leopold Specht’s remarks on the One Belt, One Road initiative

Part 2: The Chinese Ambassador to Austria, the Honorable Li Xiosi’s remarks on the One Belt, One Road initiative (current page)

Part 3: Professor Adams Bodomo of Ghana, Director of the Global African Diaspora Studies (GADS) Research Center at the University of Vienna, Austria, Chair of African Studies (Languages and Literature)

Part 4: H.E. Ambassador Vivian Nwunaku Rose Okeke, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Slovakia and Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna

Part 5: H.E. Ambassador Faouzia Mebarki, Permanent Representative of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the United Nations (Vienna)

Part 6: Minister Counselor Elyes Lakhal is the Economic & Political Counselor at the Embassy of Republic of Tunisia to Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia in Vienna

Part 7: DI Omar Al-Rawi, member of the Socialist Party of Austria