Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema on Wednesday highlighted the vital role of the China-Africa partnership in unleashing the potential of the continent's abundant natural resources and contributing to the global green transition.
President Hichilema was in Beijing to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which took place between Wednesday and Friday.
At the Zambia Power Development Forum on Wednesday, he spoke with CGTN about the strengthening energy cooperation between China and Africa and shared "very high" hopes for this year's summit, expecting Chinese investment and technology to help add value to Africa's rich reserves of critical minerals, paving the way for economic growth.
"Deepening our cooperation, our partnership, China-Africa partnership, delivering value in different sectors, energy, infrastructure, if you like, value addition, given Africa's richness in endowment with the resources, the critical minerals, for example, copper, cobalt, nickel, manganese, lithium, and bringing in Chinese capital and technology, and the resource endowment that we in Africa have. Put[ting] them together would deliver growth in our economies, on the continent, Zambia, and other countries, but also for China and the world for that matter," he said.
Hichilema added that China-Africa energy cooperation will support the global shift towards a greener economy, calling for greater international efforts to speed up this process.
"Because the world needs these resources, especially towards a green economy to reduce the carbon emissions. So I think we have basically strategic linkage and we invite also the rest of the world to work with us," said the Zambian president.
The FOCAC summit was the largest diplomatic event hosted by China in recent years, with the highest attendance of foreign leaders.
Themed "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future", the three-day gathering attracted over 50 African leaders, who highlighted the common pursuit of China and African countries in realizing modernization.
Zambian president praises China-Africa partnership for adding value to Africa’s natural resources
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, vibrant celebrations are taking place around the globe, allowing people from various countries to experience and appreciate the charm of Chinese culture.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, observed on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, is a treasured time for family reunions. This year, it falls on Tuesday. The festival is typically celebrated with family gatherings, moon viewing, and the enjoyment of mooncakes, a traditional pastry associated with the occasion.
In Brazil's biggest city Sao Paulo, the Mid-Autumn Festival carnival infused the city with festive energy on Saturday. The Wuju Opera Troupe from east China's Jinhua City performed traditional dragon dances and the "Golden Monkey Welcomes Spring" show.
At a dedicated Chinese cultural corridor, local residents had the chance to immerse in traditional Chinese arts, such as calligraphy, paper cutting, and ink painting.
On Sunday, a special Mid-Autumn Gala themed "Night of the Waterfalls," was held in Foz do Iguacu, the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls. Chinese expatriates and local residents experienced the intricacies of Chinese culture and traditions.
In Hungary, two Mid-Autumn Festival activities - the "Mooncake Workshop" and the "Mid-Autumn Garden Party" were held at the Chinese Cultural Center in the capital city of Budapest on Saturday.
The Mooncake Workshop gave locals the opportunity to learn the art of making traditional flower mooncakes and snow-skin mooncakes. At the same time, the Mid-Autumn Garden Party featured a variety of interactive Chinese cultural activities, offering guests a deeper understanding of Chinese festival customs.
"I feel that there's always new things to learn about China. It has such a vast history and culture, all sorts of things, and also like geographically there are a lot of different ethnicities with all the different customs. So it's very fascinating to me," said Anna, one of the locals.
Meanwhile, countries such as Jordan and Myanmar hosted a variety of Mid-Autumn Festival activities, including exhibitions of intangible cultural heritage, poetry recitations, and artistic performances.
People across globe hold colorful activities to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival
