Symposium on China-aided training programs held at African Union headquarters

On Dec 3, the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU) and the AU Commission jointly hosted a symposium to review the China-aided training programs in 2025 at the headquarters of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During the meeting, the Alumni Association of China-aided Training Programs for Africa was established.

Jiang Feng, head of the Chinese Mission to the AU, and Moses Vilakati, the AU's commissioner for the Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Department, attended the meeting and gave addresses. The meeting was chaired by Lyu Ruihao, minister counselor of the Chinese Mission to the AU.

About 300 representatives from the AU, the United Nations and African countries participated in the gathering.

Jiang noted that China-aided training programs for Africa serve as an important platform to implement the partnership actions in mutual learning between civilizations and people-to-people exchanges set forth at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. These programs are also in line with the AU's Agenda 2063 development blueprint and Africa's needs for development, Jiang said.

China and Africa will start the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges in 2026, in order to promote mutual learning between civilizations and foster friendship among Chinese and African people, according to Jiang.

Vilakati highly appreciated and sincerely thanked China for its long-term strong support for talent development of AU agencies and African countries.

Vilakati highlighted that the socio-economic development in China brings confidence to Africa, and expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation so as to cultivate more professional personnel for the accelerated process of African modernization.