A delegation of South African Communist Party (SACP), led by Solly Mapaila, First Deputy General Secretary of the SACP visited China-Africa Institute (CAI) on April 23, 2024. The delegation, including 18 senior officials of the SACP, held a meeting with scholars of the CAI. Li Xinfeng, Executive Director of the CAI presided over the meeting.

Solly Mapaila is making a speech

Li Xinfeng is making a speech

Prof. Li Xinfeng expressed his warm welcome to General Secretary Solly Mapaira and his delegation, and introduced the CAI’s establishment, its organizational structure, staff composition and four major functions. He said that on September 3, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in his speech at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that China has decided to establish China-Africa Institute (CAI) to deepen mutual learning of civilizations with Africa. On April 9, 2019, the CAI was officially inaugurated, to which President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter.

The CAI aims to deepen mutual learning of civilizations with African countries, to strengthen the exchange of governance and development experiences. It provides intellectual and human resources support for China and Africa to jointly promote the Belt and Road cooperation, enhance the China-Africa comprehensive strategic partnership and the building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

Prof. Li Xinfeng noted that the CAI will continue to play its role of an exchange platform to bring closer academic communication and people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa. It will reinforce its role of a research base to conduct joint research for the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It will also reinforce its role of a professionals development ground to cultivate high-end professionals for China-Africa cooperation, and the role of a window for people-to-people exchanges to present stories of China-Africa friendship and cooperation. He said, since the establishment of the CAI, it has launched a number of national exchanges platforms, such as the Three Lectures, namely the China Lecture, the Africa Lecture and the Ambassador Lecture. It also organized China-Africa Dialogue of Civilizations Conference, the Forum on International Students from Africa, the International Symposium on Comparative Study of Chinese and African History, and African Ambassadors and Scholars’ Filed Visit to China, making full efforts to pool resources of academic institutions and think tanks from China and Africa, and deepen mutual learning between Chinese and African civilizations.

The delegation is visiting photo exhibition marking CAI’s 5th anniversary of establishment

The delegation is visiting photo exhibition marking CAI’s 5th anniversary of establishment

General Secretary Soli Mapaila expressed his gratitude, and introduced the history and basic aims of the SACP. He pointed out that the SACP is committed to deepening exchanges and mutual learning with the Communist Party of China (CPC) in governance and development experience. This is not only for the purpose of learning and implementing the advanced theories of Marxism, but also learning from China’s successful practice of Marxism, especially China's experience in poverty alleviation. It will provide more effective policy options for addressing problems faced by South Africa in its economic development and social transformation.

He believes that the Three Lectures, organized by the CAI, dose not only provide an academic exchange platform for scholars, but also helps policymakers in Africa and other countries to learn from the valuable experience of Chinese modernization. Western countries have set up academic institutions, media platforms and launched short-term projects and exchange programs in Africa. However, their purpose is to make profits rather than promoting the development of African countries. On the contrast, China's aid projects in Africa have helped many African countries including South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia to boost its economic and social development and improve people's livelihood.

Delegation members and CAI scholars at meeting

After an in-depth discussion, the two sides reached an agreement on a wide range of topics, such as strengthening cooperation in academic research and exchanges, and making contribution to build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.

Li Xinfeng is presenting a gift to Solly Mapaira

Solly Mapaira is presenting a gift to Li Xinfeng

Prof. Li Xinfeng and General Secretary Solly Mapaira exchanged gifts after the meeting. Wu Chuanhua, Director of Editorial Office of the Journal of China-Africa Studies, Ma Jun, Director of the Division of International Exchanges, other scholars of the CAI and Cai Jiahui from the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting.