By Brenda Nkosi
Beijing, May 26: As a way of strengthening the bond of unity and the spirit of brotherhood among Africans, the Group of African Ambassadors to China on Saturday gathered in Beijing, China to commemorate Africa Day under the theme “Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century”.
Speaking at the gala night, the Chinese Government representative, Vice- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chen Xiaodong said China will continue to work with African countries to further expand exchanges and cooperation in areas such as science, education, culture, tourism and media.
“We will step up cooperation in technology transfer, education and training, and cultivate talent for the modernisation of governance capacity, social and economic development, scientific and technological innovation and the improvement of people’s wellbeing,” Xiaodong said.
He stressed that China will work with Africa to find African solutions to African problems.
In his remarks, Dean of the Group of African Ambassadors in China, Martin Mpana who is the Ambassador of Cameroon, hailed the Chinese government for their constant support in the education sector and further called for an increased sharing of China’s expertise and knowhow in advanced technology and engineering with the African continent.
“We wish to strengthen the partnership between Chinese and African universities and high learning institutions within the framework of Belt and Road Initiatives.
“I equally plead with China to encourage state-owned and private enterprises to admit African students and trainees embarked in scientific and technological studies to undertake practical internships in their firms in order to complement the acquired theoretical knowledge,” he said.
Mpana said he strongly believes that the forthcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit would provide an excellent opportunity to discuss new avenues on capacity building and technological transfer as globalisation, technological advancement, and climate change, investing in education and skill development has become a strategic priority for sustainable development.
