By Solomon Elusoji

Poverty alleviation, sustainable development, technology transfer and agricultural exchanges are the major issues discussed at the 2018 FOCAC-Africa-China Poverty Reduction and Development Conference held in Beijing on Tuesday.

Eliminating poverty and achieving sustainable development is the shared goal and historic task of Chinese and African people, said Liu Yongfu, director of China's State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP), at the conference.

The conference is part of preparations for the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China and -Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) scheduled for next month.

Having made great progress in eliminating poverty over the last few decades, China is still faced with the heavy task of lifting 30 million people out of extreme poverty by 2020, he said.

And on its part, Africa’s poverty rate is one of the highest in the world, he added.

Therefore, actively engaging in cooperation is to promote experience sharing, achieve common development and develop the China-Africa community of common destiny, Liu said.

Liu also noted that both parties, Africa and China, must enhance their poverty reduction exchanges and poverty reduction research.

He called for the establishment of dialogue and cooperation mechanism to promote China-Africa poverty reduction cooperation.

"We should continue to host the Poverty Reduction and Development Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the China-Africa Youth Exchange Programs on Poverty Reduction and Development to enhance poverty reduction experience sharing," he said.

China will continue to carry out joint research with African countries and relevant institutions to seek effective measures, jointly develop intellectual products on poverty reduction and contribute Chinese wisdom, Liu said.

Meanwhile, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union (AU), Josefa Sacko, commended the Chinese government in helping reduce African poverty.

Through the AU and China's Cooperation in the Rural Economy and Agricultural Development, there has been technology transfer in various sectors from China to Africa, Sacko added at the conference.

They include experts'visits and assistance in crop planting, pest disease prevention and control, product processing, livestock breeding, fish farming and private investments in medium to large-scale farms, Sacko said.

Food security and wiping out hunger is important, but it is not the whole of Africa's poverty problem, Sacko noted.

To solve the poverty problem, she noted, Africa is eager to make efforts in a comprehensive way.

They want to learn from China in natural resources management, in agriculture transformation, in policy research, in evidence-based planning and in supporting Competitive Value Chains and Agri-Business Development.

Then, she added, sound cooperation should also be launched in climate change issue, implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), combating illegal exploitation and trade in wild fauna and flora, and skills and capacity building for the youth, she said.