Can China’s Agricultural Assistance to African Countries Improve the Level of Industrial Development——Quasi natural experiment based on African Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center

The promotion of agricultural modernization is the cornerstone and power source of industrial development. This study used the time-varying DID model to evaluate the effect of the exogenous impact event that the start of the operation of the Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center for Africa assistance, to investigate the impact of agricultural assistance to African countries on the level of industrial development of recipient countries and its paths, by using the panel data of 54 developing countries in the African from years 2000 to 2019. This article have found that the implementation of agricultural assistance to African countries has significantly improved the level of industrial development of the recipient countries through the paths of product contributions (grain and raw material supply), market contributions (expansion of daily consumption and productive consumption), and factor contributions (labor transfer and capital accumulation). Agricultural assistance to African countries has a stronger effect on improving the level of industrial development of recipient countries with lower economic development, less political and investment risk and better agricultural natural conditions than others. Extensive analysis shows that agricultural assistance to African countries has a “pollution halo” effect on recipient countries. While enriching the literature on assisting Africa, this article also provides support for African countries to promote the “revitalization of industry with agriculture” by paying attention to agricultural progress, and finally realize the coordinated development of industrial sector and agricultural sector.