By VERA SAMUEL ANYAGAFU & NJOKU SAINT JERRY A. (BEIJING)

In a bid to further create a solid baseline for effective and stable cultural ties between China and Africa, the Chinese Ministry of Culture recently held a symposium, which presented Africa’s culture in its full potentials.

The event which gathered over 50 African Ministers of culture themed, “African Culture in Focus: Modeling cultural ties between Africa and China”, according to Chinese vice Minister of Culture, Ms. Zhao Shaohua, “ Is intended to promote equal cultural exchanges between China and Africa, especially Nigeria. “ Zhao noted that, “ Investment in social relation is most imperative at this period when a lot has been explored to solidify Africa-China relationship in different sectors of both countries economies. “

And for the fact that the overall effect of the cultural ties would likely result into an investment in social relations, in order to bridge the inherent rift in the growing bi-literal relationship between Nigeria and China, Zhao, implored all African cultural ministers present at the forum to ensure that they establish their cultural potentials in China.

Based on the foregoing therefore, Nigeria Minister of Culture Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, pioneered the exhibition of several Nigeria cultural attributes in China.

The ministry’s performances were able to cement the longstanding impression that Africa is a Continent that is blessed with good dancers, drummers, and fashion designers, while Africans believe the Chinese are “Kung Fu Fighters” with vague impressionthat many young Chinese are related to the late Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan.

Impressively, Kung Fu and Tai Ji chuan, are merely traditional passive activities, which in most cases, are either for Self defense or improving ones reflexes.

Good and entertaining as these activities seem, they do not and may not contribute to the desired objective of China and Africa in promoting a harmonious cooperation, which is expected to out wit the misunderstanding, conflict of interest, cultural clash and disorientation that have produced the growing unrest between Chinese investment and the indigenous workforce in Africa.

To harmonise cooperate relations and economic development between China and Africa, strategies should be devised to model cultural education, in order to reflect a clear interpretation of both countries differences in business ethics and social responsibilities. In pursuant of this desired goal, one may not rule out the possibilities of encroaching or stepping across boundaries.

Although such encroachment could either impede proposed structural development processes or become harmful to social relations, the delight is often the successful end.