According to the website "African Business Insider," which focuses on providing and analyzing regional news, on the 21st, China filled the funding gap in South Africa's HIV/AIDS prevention projects after the U.S. and South Africa had a falling out and significantly cut various foreign aid allocations, and won thanks from multiple parties in South Africa.

Before the G20 Summit, Ambassador Wu Peng of China to South Africa announced at a ceremony held at the Chinese embassy to launch the support project for South Africa's HIV/AIDS prevention that China has pledged to provide 3.49 million U.S. dollars in special aid to South Africa through this project over the next two years. Under this project, the UN Programme on HIV/AIDS will carry out HIV prevention work among young people and drug users in South Africa with the support of the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund.

Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng, Xinhua News Agency

According to public data, South Africa is the country with the highest number of HIV infections globally. Data shows that about 8 million people in South Africa are infected with the HIV virus, accounting for 13.9% of the population, and adolescents aged 15 to 24 account for one-third of new infection cases.

In his speech, Ambassador Wu Peng stated that this project is a practical measure to implement the Global Development Initiative and build a community of human health and well-being. He hoped that through this project, the fight against AIDS in South Africa would be supported, further deepening the friendly cooperation between the two countries. He also said that this cooperation not only funds related prevention work, but also helps South Africa establish a more sustainable HIV response system by means such as technology transfer, improving the drug supply chain, and assisting in capacity building.

For many years, South Africa has heavily relied on U.S. aid to maintain its largest global HIV treatment program. Previously, the U.S. provided about 17% of the project's budget annually, over 4 billion U.S. dollars. After the U.S. government drastically cut foreign aid allocations, the project faced a significant budget shortfall.

Additionally, due to the recent sharp deterioration in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and South Africa, the U.S. has deliberately distanced itself or even "ignored" South Africa. It has been reported that the U.S. recently launched a new plan to distribute the HIV prevention drug Raltegravir to 12 African countries. This drug is considered to have "revolutionary value" in controlling the HIV epidemic. However, despite being the most severely affected country, South Africa was excluded from the U.S.-funded aid distribution and had to purchase the drug at its own expense.

Under this context, reports state that although the scale of China's targeted aid is not large, it is seen as an important commitment made by China at a critical moment, and has received widespread welcome in South Africa. Some comments suggest that China has seized the opportunity to strengthen its diplomatic and development influence in Africa and positioned itself as a partner willing to intervene when Western countries abandon their commitments.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7575390921282290214/

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