Health Cooperation A year after the implementation of the FEMSE project, ma­laria was controlled in Mwali(Mohéli), the smallest of the four major Comoros islands. According to the Comoros Ministry of Health, the incidence and parasite-carrying rate of malaria decreased by 99 per cent, and no one died from malaria in that year(2008). The project reached more than 95 per cent of the Mwali population and about 93 per cent of the population of the island of Ndzwani(Anjouan). As of 2014, an over 50 per cent participation rate has been re­ported in Ngazidja(Grande Comore)(no recent data is avail­able). However, this rate has likely increased since the pro­ject is still ongoing. Seven years after project initiation, Mwali and Ndzwani were declared Malaria-free. Today, the FEMSE project in the Comoros is widely regarded as China’s most successful health project in Africa. Experts believe that total eradication of malaria by 2030, as articulat­ed in the African Union’s Agenda 2063, is possible if the im­proved version of this project is implemented in other Afri­can countries. However, the FEMSE model has been rejected by some African countries due to ethical concerns surround­ing the exposure of healthy people to drugs. After the com­pletion of the project, a Comoros-China Malaria Control Centre was established on each island by the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and the Comoros National Malaria Control Centre. Initially, the centres were staffed by both the Chinese and local medical personnel, the latter trained to eventually take the baton from the former. However, despite the success, some of those who have re­ceived the drug felt cheated because the Chinese side did not disclose that the drug had not received WHO approval. CONSTRUCTION OF AFRICA CDC HEADQUARTERS China is aiding in the construction of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention(Africa CDC) headquarters. The headquarters is being built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation(CCECC) 169 , for which China has committed USD 80 million in grant funding. 170 When fin­ished, the building shall include an emergency operation centre, data centre, laboratory, resource centre, briefing rooms, a training centre, conference centre, offices, and ex­patriate flats, all furnished and equipped by the Chinese government. 171 Construction of Africa CDC’s five regional collaborating centres in Egypt, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia are expected to follow. 172 169(2021) . China-Aided Africa CDC Headquarters Main Building Marks Structural Completion. Xinhuanet, 27 November. http://www. news.cn/english/2021-11/27/c_1310337402.htm 170(2018) China-Africa Ties: China’s Efforts to Medicine in Africa, 13 April. https://news.cgtn.com/news/3451444d7a454464776c­6d636a4e6e62684a4856/share_p.html 171 yabiage, J.(2020). After US Retreat, China Breaks Ground on Africa CDC Headquarters Project. South China Morning Post, 16 December. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3114052/af­ter-us-retreat-china-breaks-ground-africa-cdc-headquarters 172 Ibid. The US has protested the construction of the Africa CDC by China due to concerns that the project could be used to spy on“Africa’s genomic data”. 173 Previously, in 2016, China and the US signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly support the Africa CDC and enhance Africa’s public health capacity. However, this collaboration fell apart when Trump decided to cut foreign aid, allowing China, who had already offered to build the headquarters for free, to take a larger role in the project. 174 HEALTH AND DIGITALISATION During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese tech companies expanded their presence in African digital economies. 175 DJI Enterprise commercial drones were used to enforce cur­fews, spray disinfectants, and make public announcements in Morocco, Kenya, and Rwanda, among other countries. BGI, a genomics company, sold or donated rapid testing kits, gene-sequencing equipment, and laboratories. Hua­wei provided thermal scanners for access control, diagnos­tic systems using cloud computing, and artificial intelli­gence(AI), and communication platforms for hospitals. Pri­or to the outbreak, Chinese companies had already played a role in the digitisation of public services and other govern­ment functions in Africa. For example, the African Union (AU) launched a Smart Health Monitoring Room with ZTE in 2017. As tech companies in China developed products and services to combat the virus, they saw an opportunity to ex­port or donate their solutions to foreign governments. The pandemic may have given Chinese companies a foothold in Africa’s e-health market and opened the door for these companies to further increase their role in the digitalisation of public services through solutions often branded as “smart city projects”. 4.5  SECTOR-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS Though the diplomatic communication of the Chinese gov­ernment highlights the growth of China-Africa health coop­eration, many Chinese analysts point to the gap between the rhetoric and reality. 176 Despite being a long-standing player in the health care sector on the continent and the in­crease of China’s engagement in the African pharmaceutical sector in the past decade, China’s overall role is relatively small compared to the EU’s level of involvement. Between 173 N.(2020). How Unlocking the Secrets of African DNA Could Change the World. Financial Times, 3 May. https://www.ft.com/con­tent/eed0555c-5e2b-11ea-b0ab-339c2307bcd4 174 yabiage(2020). After US Retreat, China Breaks Ground on Africa CDC Headquarters Project. 175 the following section, see: Arcesati, R.(2021). China’s Evolving Role in Africa’s Digitalisation: From Building Infrastructure to Shaping Ecosystems. Italian Institute for International Political Studies, 26 July. https://www.ispionline.it/en/pubblicazione/chinas-evolving-role-afri­cas-digitalisation-building-infrastructure-shaping-ecosystems-31247 176 T.& Ma, T.(2022). Enhancing China-Africa Health Coopera­tion for a Healthier and Safer World: A Multilateral Perspective. China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies 08(01), 39–59. https://doi. org/10.1142/S2377740022500014 33