Opportunities for Cooperation

5G development and rural revitalization highlighted at China’s lianghui can lend experience to African countries

By Kirtan Bhana

17 March 2022

The just-concluded sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as lianghui in Chinese, highlighted the importance of digital economy in the country’s development in all aspects, and 5G is playing an increasingly important role in promoting the development of the digital economy.

While 5G communications rollout has just begun in many parts of the world, China’s 5G network is already the largest in the world. The lianghui have approved the expansion of China’s 5G network. The increase in funding will grow a self-sustained tech sector with access to the capital markets. In 2021 alone, the country added 654,000 5G base stations, bringing the total to 1.4 million while preparing for the rollout of 6G.

The support and expansion of the telecommunications infrastructure will have a far-reaching impact on the country of over 1.4 billion people. It is the vision of the 5,000 NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee members that has charted the development path that is a connected epoch of innovation and evolution.

Transition to 5G
As a continent with the largest number of developing countries, Africa also needs to develop its 5G technology. South Africa, on the Southern tip of the African continent, has arguably the most advanced technological and communication infrastructure on the African continent and has taken the lead in terms of 5G capabilities and rollout. The global COVID-19 pandemic saw a 50 percent surge in data traffic as reported by institutions representing telecom businesses and Internet service providers. This sudden increase had service providers scrambling to add capacity and capability to serve users who had turned to cyberspace to provide for their needs. The work from home protocols, Internet meetings, online food and grocery orders and digital get together parties became popular over this time.

Thanks to its fast speed and stable data transfer, 5G is widely considered as an important tool in people’s daily life, especially as the pandemic continues. Though there has been a drop in data traffic these days, it still is relatively higher than the pre-pandemic levels. This shift in traffic can be attributed to many situations: first-time users of digital platforms and applications who never had the need to use tech and now cannot do without, scholars and learners resorting to online classes and those creating and building new people-to-people physically distant relationships, among others.

Rise in online activities
A post-pandemic paradigm will see another wave of resurgence in cyber activity. These include the dynamic use of information and telecommunication technology in education, art, health care, travel and tourism and other sectors that are in dire need of transformative change in order to cope with the fallout of the pandemic.

The advent of artificial intelligence combined with the development in robotics and quantum computing will spur new opportunities for enterprise and industry. These sectors relate to high-end machine tools, aerospace equipment, marine engineering equipment, advanced railway equipment, electric power equipment, new materials, biomedicine and high-end medical equipment.

South Africa has a great deal to gain from China’s remarkable hi-tech development and economic progress, especially 5G development. China has taken a quantum leap while still implementing pragmatic and long-term plans and solutions. The two countries have a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in place and, if implemented timely and pragmatically to complement the South African conditions, environment and resources, South Africa could position itself on a similar growth trajectory.

Besides the 5G and hi-tech development, other areas such as rural development, which is another focus of this year’s lianghui, can also lend experience to South Africa. The Rural Investment Master Plan may have substantial prospects for meaningful and mutually beneficial cooperation between South Africa and China. The plan was endorsed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and was adopted by the National House of Traditional and Khoi San Leaders in 2021. The plan is focused on the 25 million South Africans who reside in the traditional lands and tribal heritage as recognized by the South African Constitution. The implementation of the plan may have potential opportunity in renewable energy, telecommunications and rural e-commerce and enterprise.

This article was first published in ChinAfrica magazine