By Kei Emmanuel Duku
South Sudan’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Atong Kuol Manyang, has underscored the importance of learning from China’s economic emergence to foster development in Juba and other states and administrative areas.
Speaking at the “A Joint Symposium for Building Communities with a Shared Future for Humanity” in Juba, Minister Atong highlighted the potential for a deeper partnership with a specific focus on empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “Our relationship with China is a longstanding one, built on key areas of cooperation including petroleum, construction, and education,” she said, according to a statement from the Press Unit, Ministry of Trade and Industry. Building on this foundation, she outlined a path for enhanced partnership centred on direct support for South Sudanese entrepreneurs.
In her presentation during the Symposium, the Minister identified several key areas for future cooperation. “We must look to China’s experience in economic development and poverty alleviation to support our own SMEs,” she stated. These initiatives, which include facilitating capacity-building programs, increasing collaboration in science and technology transfer, and improving SMEs’ access to finance, are seen as critical to stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty.
Atong further acknowledged that on-going conflicts have posed significant barriers to national development. However, she emphasized that South Sudan recognizes the crucial role the private sector plays in economic development, much like the path China has taken. “With substantial support from China through investments and technology transfer, we are hopeful that South Sudan can improve its economic landscape and replicate practices that have lifted millions from poverty,” she noted.
The symposium concluded with the Minister calling for continued partnership, stressing that “peace is a prerequisite for development.” She expressed hope that with political will and international support, South Sudan can overcome its current challenges and achieve sustained economic development and growth.
The relationship between South Sudan and China is rooted in cooperative ventures that have been instrumental for capacity building since South Sudan’s independence. This partnership has enabled many South Sudanese to benefit from expertise and training in China.
The Minister’s focus on small and medium-sized enterprises reflects a strategic shift towards economic empowerment and poverty reduction by leveraging the private sector’s role in the country’s development.