China extols relationship with Ghana, Africa

By Edmund Smith-Asante, BEIJING

Mr. H. E. M. LI Zhaoxing, President    of the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA) interacting

China has extolled its cordial relationship with Africa and the rest of the world and singled out Ghana as one of the first African countries to establish diplomatic relations with it.

Welcoming 29 African and 15 Asian journalists to a 10-month media exchange and training programme in China last Wednesday, the President of the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA), Mr. H. E. M. LI Zhaoxing spoke of the excellent relationship China had and continued to have with countries in Africa.

He noted that “Ghana is one of the first countries that established diplomatic relationship with China. I have a friend studying in Peking University. I like him a lot. Gabon, Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire impressed me so much because their people are very friendly to Chinese people.”

The training programme – China Africa Press Centre (CAPC) 2017 and China South Asia and South East Asia Press Centre (CSASEAPC) is supported by the CPDA.

The official opening ceremony was attended by ambassadors and officials of embassies represented on the programme including Ghana’s Minister Counsellor/Head of Chancery in Beijing, Mr McArios A. Akanbong.

UN support

Mr. H. E. M. LI Zhaoxing, President    of the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA) interacting

Mr. Zhaoxing especially made reference to the assistance given by African countries to China to rejoin the United Nations.

“I have never forgotten how our African friends supported China. On October 25, 1971, 26 African countries voted for China to restore its lawful position in the UN while 35 Western countries opposed China.

“But in the end 76 countries won against the Western countries. So China and African countries are forever friends.

“China has returned to the United Nations mainly due to the support from our African friends and at the beginning of this year our minister Yang Jiechi has been to African countries to show our gratitude for their support in returning us to the UN,” Mr. Zhaoxing said.

Outlining specific relations China continues to have with the African countries represented on the media exchange programme, Mr. Zhaoxing reiterated China’s President Xi Jinping’s calls for China to learn from the excellent foreign countries and establish their own dignity and confidence.

“I worked in Africa for seven years 47 years ago and I have visited 53 of the 54 countries. Africa impressed me a lot,” Mr. Zhaoxing said.

Referring to the benefits that had accrued from Chino Africa relations, he stated that many of the Chinese arts and magic came from Egypt while the 1860.5 km railway in Tanzania was the longest in a foreign country to receive assistance from China.

He was also grateful to Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Togo, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo for supporting the One China policy, which stated that Taiwan was part of China.

Journalists

Ms. Bukola Ogunsina, presenting a speech on behalf of the African journalists.

In a speech made on behalf of the journalists on the CAPC programme, Ms. Bukola Ogunsina from Nigeria thanked the organisers of the programme for affording the African journalists the opportunity to learn more about China.

“We are eager to know, interview and report the true China, removing all doubts and to learn more about what makes China, China. We will learn and from the facts we will gather the truth,” she pledged on behalf of the participating African journalists.

Speaking on behalf of the journalists from South Asia and South East Asia, Mr. Muhammad Zamir Assadi from Pakistan said the journalists were going to have a landmark opportunity to learn about the multiple dimensions of the Chinese society.

“We are sure that this informative course will benefit us in understanding the new techniques of the media by working with Chinese media outlets, as this life experience will serve as a pilgrimage for all of us to develop the media industry in our home countries and help us advance our professional journalistic skills,” he said.

Writer’s email: edmund.asante@graphic.com.gh

Quick read

China has paid glowing tribute to the very fruitful relationship that exists between it and Africa and expressed its appreciation to Africa for supporting it to return to the United Nations.

Quote

“I have never forgotten how our African friends supported China. On October 25, 1971, 26 African countries voted for China to restore its lawful position in the UN while 35 Western countries opposed China.”

This story was written on March 3, 2017