The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. It is also the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges jointly agreed upon by President Xi Jinping and African leaders. At the outset of the New Year, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. Wang Yi, paid official visits to Ethiopia, Tanzania, Lesotho, held the 9th China-African Union Strategic Dialogue at the African Union Headquarters with African leaders, and attended the launching ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the launching ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. These high-level China-Africa interactions have ushered in a new chapter of China’s diplomacy in the new year, sending a clear and strong message to the world of China and Africa’s firm commitment to advancing together.
Once again choosing Africa as the starting point of China’s diplomacy in the new year underscores China’s steadfast commitment to, and continued inheritance of, the profound friendship between China and Africa. This visit was the 36th consecutive year for Africa to be the destination of the Chinese Foreign Minister’s first overseas trip in a new year. As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “China-Africa friendship was forged in their arm-in-arm struggle for the cause of national independence and liberation, and has matured through their respective national development and economic growth. At the start of the new year, it is only natural for China to visit its African brothers and sisters first, just as one would pay a New Year visit to relatives.” The China-Africa relations boast a long history and the China-Africa traditional friendship has grown stronger over time. From the historic first handshake between Chinese and African leaders at the Bandung Conference, bridging vast distances, to the two sides advancing together on the path to modernization; from China’s support for African countries in their just struggle for national liberation, to China and Africa joining hands to inject positive energy into world peace, stability and development, the two sides have consistently supported each other and worked in close coordination on the international stage. By upholding and carrying forward the tradition of China’s foreign ministers making Africa their first overseas destination at the start of the year, China demonstrate to the world that China-Africa friendship transcends the limits of time and space, the changes in the international landscape, and the distractions of individual incidents.
Making the joint pursuit of modernization a key focus of this visit highlights the shared aspiration of both sides for common development and national rejuvenation. There will be no global modernization without African modernization. African countries are now at a crucial stage of their respective development and revitalization. At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC), President Xi Jinping solemnly proposed that China and Africa work together to advance modernization characterized by six features, charting the course for the future development of China-Africa relations. During Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Africa, a number of African leaders expressed appreciation for the Initiative on Cooperation Supporting Modernization in Africa launched by China and voiced strong interest in closely aligning their national development strategies with Chinese modernization. They also reaffirmed their readiness to work with China to effectively implement the initiatives announced by President Xi, including the Initiative on Supporting Africa’s Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. China stands ready to work with African countries, including Liberia, to ensure that the fruits of modernization benefit the peoples of both China and Africa.
Prioritizing people-to-people exchanges in China-Africa engagement in the new year reflects the mutual expectation of lasting friendship across generations. Facts have shown that people-to-people exchanges form the most solid foundation of China-Africa friendship, while mutual learning among civilizations serves as the strongest driving force for China-Africa cooperation. In ancient times, the two great civilizations of China and Africa have been enriching each other for thousands of years, serving as the historical and intellectual source of China-Africa friendship. In recent years, under the joint guidance of leaders on both sides, China-Africa people-to-people and cultural exchanges have flourished and delivered fruitful results, brimming with vitality. The launch of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Africa diplomatic relations is intended to carry forward the baton of enduring friendship across generations, bringing the peoples of China and Africa ever closer, expanding the scope of China-Africa cooperation, and deepening the friendship between China and Africa. To this end, China will work together with African countries this year to jointly organize nearly 600 people-to-people exchange activities, pooling the strengths of youth, culture, media and other sectors, so as to give the two peoples a stronger sense of gain and a deeper sense of identification with China-Africa friendship.
With our original aspiration unchanged and our friendship enduring, China looks to the future ready to work together with African countries, including Liberia. Guided by the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and taking exchanges and cooperation as the pathway forward, China and Africa will continuously enhance the substance of the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and jointly embrace a brighter future for China-Africa relations.
