DAKAR, March 11 (Xinhua) -- China's development experience merits closer study, as it offers Africa valuable lessons in governance, innovation-driven growth, and development, Senegalese lawmaker Ayib Daffe has said.
Daffe, secretary-general of Senegal's ruling PASTEF party and head of its parliamentary group at the National Assembly, made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua following a visit to China in January as part of a delegation led by President of the National Assembly Malick Ndiaye.
The visit, which took the delegation to Beijing and Chongqing, offered an opportunity to better understand China's governance experience, which Daffe said holds relevance for Africa's development.
"Each time we return from China, we are impressed by the efficiency of the system, its modernity, and its ability to anticipate and respond to people's concerns," he said.
Among the highlights of the trip, Daffe cited a visit in Chongqing to a local legislative outreach office designed to collect public views on legal and social issues. "We saw how citizens are concretely involved in the law-making process. It was a very enriching experience," he said, noting that he was particularly struck by how deeply the mechanism is rooted in local communities.
"We observed the existence of grassroots channels that go directly into neighborhoods to gather public opinions on important draft laws and on major issues such as health, child protection, and youth-related matters," he said.
In his view, the Chinese experience shows that a representative system can also rely on practical mechanisms that allow the public to make their voices heard on issues of common interest.
Daffe said China's development path also offers important lessons for countries of the Global South, demonstrating how a nation can pursue a development strategy tailored to its own realities while achieving remarkable progress within just a few decades and advancing common prosperity.
He said China's achievements rest on a combination of strong fundamentals. Recalling visits to companies and innovation platforms, he said the delegation toured world-class enterprises, including multinational technology company Huawei, as well as firms specializing in electric vehicles and batteries.
"We also visited incubators and small and medium-sized enterprises to understand how young people are trained and supported in innovation," he said.
"People often talk about an economic miracle, but when you go there in person, you realize it is above all a matter of determination, organization, and hard work," he added.
Daffe also highlighted prospects for cooperation between China and African countries, particularly under the Belt and Road Initiative.
"It is important to strengthen alliances and cooperation initiatives, especially through this initiative, in order to promote win-win partnerships with countries such as Senegal," he said.
According to him, African countries should fully seize the opportunities created by cooperation with China. "This is an opportunity that we must seize in order to develop our industrial sector and strengthen our economic growth," he said. ■