The Second China-Africa People's Friendship Organizations Leaders' Meeting was successfully held in Jinan

The Second Meeting of Heads of China-Africa People's Friendship Organizations, co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association, and the Shandong Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, was successfully held in Jinan on November 9. Li Bin, Vice Chairman of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Deng Yunfeng, Vice Governor of Shandong Province, Edward Mokolo, President of the Congo (DRC)-China Friendship Association, Jiang Jiang, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Zhang Bin, Deputy Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks.

Li Bin pointed out that China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future. High-level exchanges between China and Africa have maintained close contact, practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, people-to-people exchanges have been vibrant, and international collaboration has become increasingly close. Currently, the international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes. Facing new opportunities and challenges, China-Africa friendship organizations should focus on the common prosperity and sustainable development of the Chinese and African people, ensuring that cooperation achievements widely benefit both peoples, and work together to promote win-win cooperation between China and Africa. We should help create a new situation for China-Africa cultural and people-to-people exchanges, cultural integration, and mutual understanding, providing deeper spiritual nourishment for China-Africa cooperation, and jointly promoting mutual learning between Chinese and African civilizations. We should actively promote youth exchanges between the two sides, ensuring that the cause of China-Africa friendship has successors, remains vibrant and dynamic, and jointly promotes the inheritance of China-Africa friendship. China will work with African countries to implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Deng Yunfeng stated that in recent years, Shandong has thoroughly implemented the policy concept of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith towards Africa, as well as the correct approach to justice and interests, solidly promoting exchanges and cooperation with Africa, achieving fruitful results. In the next step, Shandong hopes to continue consolidating cooperation advantages with Africa in agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure, energy, and minerals; actively carry out cooperation in new areas such as new infrastructure, digital economy, and clean energy to expand the dimensions of economic and trade cooperation; focus on China-Africa industrial chain cooperation, expand two-way investment, and enhance the depth of cooperative exchanges; comprehensively strengthen cooperation in areas such as promotion, vocational education and training, and paired exchanges to boost the warmth of people-to-people exchanges; continue traditional friendship, strengthen interactions with African non-governmental friendship organizations, and increase the intensity of non-governmental exchanges.

Edward Mokolo pointed out that Africa-China friendship is ever-new and constantly developing. China's engagement with Africa is highly efficient and pragmatic, especially the co-building of the "Belt and Road" which has brought immense development opportunities to Africa. The exchanges between China and the African Union are also a model of South-South cooperation. Confrontation cannot promote development; only cooperation can achieve win-win results. It is believed that China-Africa cooperation will further benefit the vast majority of people on both sides.

Jiang Jiang stated that for a long time, China-Africa non-governmental friendship organizations have upheld solidarity and mutual assistance, promoted practical cooperation, and enhanced mutual understanding among peoples, contributing to the stable and long-term development of China-Africa relations through concrete actions. It is hoped that both sides will further strengthen non-governmental exchanges, enhance mutual understanding, promote local cooperation, and continuously write new chapters of China-Africa friendship.

Zhang Bin pointed out that the foundation of China-Africa friendship lies with the people. The vast majority of Chinese and African people are not only beneficiaries but also contributors to China-Africa cooperation. It is believed that China-Africa non-governmental friends will continue to actively dedicate themselves to the cause of China-Africa friendship, making greater contributions to the building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

Approximately 150 Chinese and African guests participated in the meeting, including heads of 26 friendship organizations from 22 African countries, representatives from foreign friendship associations in 17 provinces and cities across China, and officials from relevant provincial departments and enterprises in Shandong. The meeting was themed "Working Together to Build a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era." Nearly 40 Chinese and African representatives engaged in dialogue and exchanges on topics such as China-Africa win-win cooperation, mutual learning among civilizations, and the inheritance of friendship. Chinese and African guests unanimously agreed that this meeting further consolidated non-governmental consensus on China-Africa friendship. Looking ahead, both sides will inherit the spirit of China-Africa friendly cooperation, continue to carry forward fine traditions, and make positive efforts to promote the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future.

The meeting adopted the "Jinan Declaration of the Meeting of Heads of China-Africa People's Friendship Organizations." The "Meeting of Heads of China-Africa People's Friendship Organizations" was initiated in 2017 by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association, aiming to build a collective dialogue platform for China-Africa non-governmental friendship organizations and consolidate non-governmental consensus on China-Africa friendship.