2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. At this important historical juncture, the Chinese Foreign Minister visited Africa for the first time in 36 consecutive years at the beginning of the year and will attend the opening ceremony of the “China Africa Cultural Exchange Year” at the headquarters of the African Union, sending a clear signal: China has always placed Africa in a priority and important position in the overall diplomatic situation, and has always been the most reliable partner for African countries to pursue development and revitalization.
For a long time, China has always adhered to the concept of truth, closeness, sincerity, and the correct view of righteousness and benefit in carrying out cooperation with Africa, promoting China Africa cooperation to continuously move towards high-quality and sustainable direction, and working together to pursue the dream of modernization.
Over the years, China and Africa have closely aligned China’s development experience with Africa’s development needs through pragmatic cooperation, achieving common prosperity through mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. They have actively implemented zero tariff measures for 100% of taxable products in countries that have established diplomatic relations with Africa, helped Africa build and upgrade nearly 100000 kilometers of highways, over 10000 kilometers of railways, nearly a thousand bridges, and nearly a hundred ports… A series of pragmatic measures have made important contributions to accelerating the modernization process of African countries and promoting coordinated economic development.
At the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation in 2024, China proposed that China and Africa should work together to promote “six modernizations” and promote the implementation of “ten partnership actions”. The Implementation List of the Results of the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, released in June 2025, shows that since the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, China has actively promoted about 600 “small and beautiful” projects, covering connectivity, poverty reduction and agricultural benefits, health care, green development, digital economy, people to people and cultural exchanges and other fields, and basically achieved full coverage of African countries.
In November 2025, during the G20 Johannesburg Summit held for the first time on the African continent, China and the host country South Africa jointly launched the “Supporting Africa’s Modernization Cooperation Initiative” to support African countries in independently exploring modernization paths that are in line with their national conditions and achieving sustainable development.
Promoting people to people connectivity is not only a continuation of the traditional friendship between China and Africa, but also provides deeper and more lasting spiritual nourishment for China Africa cooperation, helping various cooperation between China and Africa take root, blossom and bear fruit, and benefit the people of both sides.
Over the years, relying on multi-level and multi-channel talent cultivation and exchange mechanisms, China has trained more than 10000 professionals in various fields for African countries; Projects such as “Luban Workshop”, “Future Africa China Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Plan”, and “China Africa University Hundred School Cooperation Plan” continue to be implemented, building a China Africa education cooperation network that covers skills training, talent exchange, and technological innovation; Cultural activities such as the China Africa Future Leaders Dialogue, the China Africa Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum, and the China Africa Youth Gala continue to bring people from both sides, especially young people, closer together and enhance their sense of identity and closeness.
At the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation in 2024, it was announced that China and Africa agreed to designate 2026 as the “Year of People to People and Cultural Exchanges between China and Africa”. Both sides will hold a series of cultural exchange activities around the theme of “Consolidating all-weather friendship and jointly pursuing modernization dreams”, promoting exchanges and mutual learning between the two major civilizations of China and Africa, promoting the hearts, emotions, and strength of the Chinese and African peoples, and strengthening the public opinion foundation of China Africa friendship; Taking cultural exchanges as an opportunity, we will practice the policy concept of genuine, friendly, and sincere cooperation with Africa, tap into the potential of practical cooperation in various fields between China and Africa, inject vitality into the joint promotion of modernization between China and Africa, and contribute to the construction of a 24/7 China Africa community with a shared future in the new era and the pursuit of modernization together.
China and Africa account for one-third of the world’s total population, and without modernization in Central Africa, there would be no modernization in the world. Looking towards the future, China and Africa will continue to support each other and move forward hand in hand on the path of modernization, using the “golden key” of China Africa solidarity and cooperation to open the “door to the future” of common development, and contribute to the realization of global southern unity and self-improvement, and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.