The 12th Meeting of the China-Africa Think Tank Forum was held in Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang province, on May 30.
Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe, former president of South Africa, Pierre Gomez, head of the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology of Gambia, Liu Yuxi, special representative of the Chinese government for African affairs, Chen Jiangfeng, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Zheng Mengzhuang, Party secretary of Zhejiang Normal University, and Xing Zhihong, mayor of Jinhua, made speeches at the conference.
Xing noted at the conference that Jinhua will continue efforts to strengthen cooperation with African countries in economy and trade, cultural exchanges and people-to-people exchanges.
Xing added that Jinhua will host the China (Zhejiang) Sino-African Economic and Trade Forum this November, which will greatly promote bilateral cultural exchanges.
Jinhua has established trade relations with all African countries and regions under the national Belt and Road Initiative, with its exports to Africa in 2022 totaling 87.94 billion yuan ($12.38 billion).
Jinhua is currently home to more than 5,000 African businessmen who operate more than 700 enterprises and foreign trade companies.
The Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University has provided training sessions for 4,000 top African talent, while Jinhua Polytechnic has conducted vocational skills training for 5,000 Rwandan people.
The China-Africa Think Tank Forum, an important part of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, was set up by the Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University in 2011 and has been playing a significant part in advancing Sino-African exchanges.
