The launch took place earlier today and was supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC) and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MofCom).
UK Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening and China's Assistant Minister of Commerce, Wang Shouwen opened the launch with speeches, which were followed by remarks from the Ambassadors of South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Kenya, countries which will form the basis of the research case studies.
Led by IDS Fellow, Dr Jing Gu, with partners in the UK (University of Sussex, Interanalysis and ITEAS), China (CAITEC, think-tank of MOFCOM) and Africa (CUTS and TRALAC), this DFID-funded project will evaluate changing trade and investment relations between China, the UK, and African countries. It will focus on how to provide effective support for inclusive growth, structural transformation and poverty reduction, and the possible synergies between UK and Chinese policies, with this project concentrating, in particular, on Kenya and South Africa.
Dr Gu said: "By examining possible synergies between the UK and Chinese policies, we hope that our research will provide an important insight into the most effective way to promote sustainable growth, structural transformation and poverty reduction in Africa."