Beijing Youth Daily: There are media reports in China recently on the story of an African student who came to China to study advanced agricultural technology and is determined to contribute to solving his home country’s food problem. Can you comment on that and give us more details about China-Africa practical cooperation, especially agricultural cooperation?
Mao Ning: Food shortages have long been plaguing African countries. China has ensured secure food supply for its 1.4 billion people after strenuous efforts for several decades. Therefore, we feel deeply for African people’s hope for zero hunger. In recent years, China-Africa agricultural cooperation has flourished, producing fruitful results in technical assistance and training of agricultural experts, transfer of advanced agricultural technologies, the building of agricultural parks, and promotion of cultivation projects such as juncao and hybrid rice. Such cooperation provided quality rice and vegetable to the African people and helped modernize the agricultural sector in Africa.
Agricultural cooperation is an epitome of how China and Africa render each other help. In recent years, thanks to the strategic guidance of Chinese and African leaders, the cooperation between the two sides in various areas has enjoyed all-round development. China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 years in a row, and has signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with 52 African countries and the African Union Commission. China released 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, and cooperation between the two sides has expanded to emerging areas, such as digital, green, aerospace and financial sectors. China-Africa cooperation has helped Africa achieve socioeconomic development and livelihood improvement, and is sincerely welcomed by African countries and people. Facts prove that China is Africa’s reliable partner and true friend.
The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held in Beijing next month. We believe the upcoming summit will expand and deepen China-Africa cooperation and write a new chapter of building a China-Africa community with a shared future.