During the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from August 17 to 28, Al Hamndou Dorsouma, Acting Director of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department at the African Development Bank, shared insights with SINA Corp regarding the expansive potential for partnership between China and Africa.

Dorsouma emphasized that China currently stands as Africa's largest development partner, a significant opportunity the continent should actively seize. Moreover, he noted that China's extensive experience in building its own "Great Green Wall" over many years has become a crucial reference for Africa's parallel initiative.

"The 'Great Green Wall' initiative in Africa that we discuss today has actually drawn inspiration from China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program. Whether or not it is officially termed a 'green wall,' this experience in combating desertification has certainly been instrumental for us," he stated.

He pointed out that substantial cooperation opportunities exist in areas such as South-South collaboration, peer learning, capacity building, and knowledge sharing. Additionally, both sides could jointly design projects to support the "Great Green Wall" initiative, particularly in the Sahel region, where numerous avenues for partnership are available.

Dorsouma further suggested that Chinese enterprises and financial institutions could play a more significant role in project financing or implementation. Citing the African Development Bank as an example, he explained that since China is a non-regional member of the Bank and a shareholder in the African Development Fund, Chinese companies are eligible to bid for and participate in the execution of all development projects supported by the institution.

This eligibility means that China-Africa cooperation on the "Great Green Wall" can offer not only valuable experience to reference but also direct opportunities for hands-on project involvement.