In the 1970s, golden rice fields shimmered under the sun in rural areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). There, Chinese agricultural experts rolled up their trousers and stood ankle-deep in muddy paddies, working hand in hand with local farmers to share irrigation and planting techniques.
These early efforts left a legacy that goes far beyond agriculture. According to Daniel Mukoko Samba, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of the DRC, the grains of rice that took root on African soil also sowed the seeds of a lasting friendship between the peoples of China and this Central African country.
“One day, I met a woman who had been growing rice for more than 35 years,” recalled the Deputy Prime Minister in an interview with China Daily. “She told me that thanks to the advice of Chinese experts, she learned how to cultivate rice and improve her family’s life.”
“The image of Chinese agricultural technicians working alongside our farmers remains deeply moving even today,” he continued, adding that “this cooperation not only brought tangible progress to our agricultural sector but also laid the foundation for a lasting friendship between our peoples.” He noted that the friendship between the Chinese and Congolese peoples is deeply rooted in history and has long been characterized by sincerity, mutual respect, and genuine connection.
The DRC, Daniel Mukoko Samba affirmed, attaches great importance to its economic and trade cooperation with China. He expressed hope that more Chinese companies would invest and establish businesses in the country to support industrial modernization, move beyond raw resource exports toward localized transformation and production, strengthen the DRC’s position in global value chains, and advance a strategic transformation of its economic structure.
He also noted that China’s development path serves as a valuable reference for other developing countries, stressing that “China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty,” adding that “this experience is of great importance for Africa, which continues to face challenges related to economic and technological dependence.”
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries.
On January 7, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi began his visit to Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Lesotho, during which he will attend the launch ceremony of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges 2026 at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This six-day visit marks the 36th consecutive year in which Africa has been the destination of the first overseas trip by China’s foreign minister.
Speaking the same day at a daily press conference, Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that China seeks to deepen mutual political trust with all parties, promote the implementation of the outcomes of the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit, and strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between the two great civilizations of China and Africa.
For her part, Hodan Osman Abdi, Somalia’s ambassador to China, welcomed Wang Yi’s visit to her country at the start of the new year, noting that the tradition of the Chinese foreign minister making Africa his first foreign destination each year highlights China’s firm commitment to Africa and South-South cooperation.
“Somalia is a resource-rich country with significant development potential, and we look forward to further strengthening China-Somalia cooperation, particularly in infrastructure development and in transforming our natural resources into tangible benefits for our people,” she added.
Yoro Diallo, a Malian scholar and director of the African Museum at Zhejiang Normal University, noted that Chinese modernization, with its own characteristics, is “based on openness” and that its spirit is “sharing opportunities,” adding that countries on the continent will benefit from these advances, as China-Africa cooperation is built on mutual respect, tangible results, and sincere friendship.
These assessments are also reflected in the concrete results of China-Africa cooperation over the years. In the past 25 years, China has helped Africa build and modernize nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads and more than 10,000 kilometers of railways. At the same time, Chinese companies created more than 1.1 million jobs in Africa between 2022 and 2024, and China has remained Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years as of 2024.
Chakil Aboobacar, Secretary-General of Mozambique’s Frelimo Party, affirmed that China and Africa, working hand in hand toward modernization, are creating a better future for both sides.
As part of China-Africa cooperation, a series of agricultural laboratories have become essential platforms for research on rice, potato, and cashew varieties in Mozambique. “These efforts have trained local technical talent, improved productivity, and optimized planting structures,” he emphasized.
According to Julius Ihonvbere, Majority Leader in Nigeria’s House of Representatives, China’s decision to expand market access to Africa—particularly through zero-tariff treatment covering 100% of tariff lines for all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China—represents a truly “progressive” approach.
After a recent visit to Zhejiang Province—a hub of entrepreneurship and private enterprise in eastern China—Julius Ihonvbere said he was struck by the scale and vitality of the province’s cooperation projects with African countries. At the Yiwu Global E-Commerce Center, he explored cutting-edge technologies, including Internet of Things detection, artificial intelligence, and big data applications.
He was particularly impressed by China’s innovation-driven development model. “The AI products I observed could help solve many of the problems we face in Africa,” he noted.
Looking ahead, he emphasized the importance of people-to-people ties, stating that “few countries are as good as China when it comes to people-to-people cooperation,” adding that 2026, designated as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, will further deepen mutual understanding between the two sides.
Julius Ihonvbere also said he was deeply moved to see so many African students studying in China, where many pursue engineering, computer science, and African studies thanks to Chinese government scholarships. These students gain a deep understanding of Chinese values and culture, he noted, adding that some also speak fluent Mandarin. “When they return home, they will become vital bridges linking our peoples and carrying this friendship into the future,” he concluded.