The activity of 2022 African Diplomats Visit the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation was held in Changsha between July 27 and 29. On the morning of July 28, Mao Weiming, deputy secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and governor of Hunan Province met with diplomatic envoys to China from 15 African countries, including Tanzanian Ambassador to China Mbelwa Kairuki.

On July 28, Mao Weiming, deputy secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and governor of Hunan Province met with diplomatic envoys to China from 15 African countries, including Tanzanian Ambassador to China Mbelwa Kairuki.

The attendees included Mozambique's Ambassador to China Maria Gustava, Angolan Ambassador to China João Salvador dos Santos Neto, Ethiopian Ambassador to China Teshome Toga Chanaka, Madagascar's Ambassador to China Jean Louis Robinson, South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cwele, Ghanaian Ambassador to China Winfred Nii Okai Hammond, Malawian Ambassador to China Allan Joseph Chintedza, Algerian Ambassador to China Hassane Rabehi, and ambassadors to China from Nigeria, Uganda, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mauritius, and Rwanda, as well as Li Dianxun, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of Hunan Province, and Deng Qunce, secretary general of the People's Government of Hunan Province.

At the meeting.

The photos above were taken by Liu Shangwen from Hunan Daily.

Governor Mao said how happy it is to have friends from far away! He added that Africa is China's good friend, good partner and good brother and expressed welcome to African diplomats. He said Hunan Province enjoys a long history, has convenient geographical position, beautiful environment, solid foundation in agriculture and fully-fledged industries, and nurtures many talents. A modern transport system has come into being. Hunan has become the permeant host venue for the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo.

Hunan and Africa enjoy a long-lasting friendship. In recent years, Hunan has sped up the building of a new hub for local economic and trade cooperation with Africa and a pilot zone for in-depth China-Africa economic and trade cooperation with high standards. Hunan has become one of the most active provinces in China in terms of conducting economic and trade cooperation with Africa. In 2021, the trade volume between Hunan and Africa reached 40.39 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 38.5% and ranking first in central China. In the first half of this year, Hunan's trade with Africa increased by 44% year-on-year, and Hunan and Africa enjoy broad prospects for cooperation.

Governor Mao believed that Hunan-Africa cooperation will achieve good results of win-win situation and common development. It is hoped that all the diplomatic envoys will serve as bridges to continuously deepen friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between the two sides in the fields of economy and trade, agriculture, infrastructure, education and medical care, cultural tourism, and non-governmental exchanges. Hunan will rely on the two national platforms of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation to play an exemplary role in exploring new paths and new mechanisms for in-depth cooperation with Africa and to contribute to the building of a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.

Mr. Mbelwa Kairuki and other diplomatic envoys spoke highly of Hunan's development achievements, especially the results of Hunan-Africa economic and trade cooperation. They said that Hunan is the hometown of Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, as well as the hometown of hybrid rice. Yuan Longping helps the African people stay away from hunger with a rice seed. The diplomatic envoys will further expand all-round and wide-range cooperation between African countries and Hunan, and promote the continuous development of friendly relations between the two sides.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: hunan. gov.cn