China and Africa will jointly organize nearly 600 people-to-people and cultural exchange activities in 2026 to strengthen interactions and mutual learning between the two civilizations, and to promote understanding and ties among their peoples, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday at a press briefing.
She provided details about the opening ceremony of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges 2026, which was held Thursday at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The organization of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges 2026 is an important consensus reached by the leaders of both sides during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2024, Mao noted.
She added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had sent a congratulatory letter for the opening of the event, urging both sides to use this opportunity to carry forward their traditional friendship, enhance mutual learning between civilizations, expand people-to-people exchanges—especially among the youth—deepen the sharing of governance experiences, and advance modernization together.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the opening ceremony, where he praised the progress made in China-Africa people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and together with his African guests unveiled the logo of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges 2026, the spokesperson added.
(Source: Xinhua / Photo: CMG)