FOCAC entrepreneur conference brings optimism on China-Africa economic, trade cooperation

China-Africa economic and trade cooperation is continuing to gather momentum, driven by a slew of concrete plans for modernization, said Chinese and African business community leaders and officials who attended the Eighth Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs in Beijing on Friday.

Africa and China should work more closely to elevate economic and trade cooperation to higher levels, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said at the entrepreneur conference's opening ceremony

Li noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping made a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Thursday announcing a package of new measures for pragmatic cooperation with African countries and proposing a package of major initiatives on both sides' joint pursuit of modernization.

Aligned with the theme of the 2024 FOCAC summit, "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," the eighth Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs focuses on the integration of industrial and supply chains and the development of emerging industries.

"I think it will bring a lot of opportunities. The good thing is today we are meeting the business people and as the government, our job is to facilitate the private sector to meet, and the businesspeople are the ones who then generate the business. So for us, like I said before, our focus is going to be on making sure that we tap into the massive potential that is here in China in terms of agriculture exports and imports," said Allan Majuru, CEO of ZimTrade, Zimbabwe's export promotion agency.

"We want high-tech agricultural techniques, research, and development in terms of the seeds that are easily growing in Namibia, as well as a market for high-value fruits and vegetables in China," said Selma Namutuwa, manager of investment attraction at Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB).

About 1,000 attendees were present at the opening ceremony of the conference, including African leaders attending the FOCAC summit and business representatives from both sides.

Companies are represented in traditional industries such as infrastructure, finance and trade, as well as emerging industries such as electronic technology, communication satellites, and even biotech companies such China's BGI Group.

"At BGI, we have projects, we have laboratories today in a few African countries like South Africa, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone. We aim to do more screening project and also genetic research together with more African countries," said Xiong Tao, vice president for international development of BGI Group.

Li Zongping, general manager of Tianjin Zhongtou Group, stressed the complementary nature of African and Chinese industries.

"The opportunities for enterprises are huge. For example, China's clean energy and its advanced digital communications can help African countries develop rapidly. At the same time, Africa also has many products, such as agricultural products, which can also be fed back to China," she said.

FOCAC entrepreneur conference brings optimism on China-Africa economic, trade cooperation

FOCAC entrepreneur conference brings optimism on China-Africa economic, trade cooperation

Chinese cities, towns and villages are putting on dazzling light and lantern shows, staging distinctive folk customs performances, and holding festive mooncake banquets in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Tuesday.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar and dates back more than a millennium. As a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, families reunite on the occasion to admire the bright full moon, light lanterns, and share the holiday pastry of mooncakes.

In the ancient city of Kaifeng of central China's Henan Province and Jinzhou City of northeast China's Liaoning Province, popular tourist attractions and landmarks are bathed in lights, promising a mesmerizing nighttime experience for local residents and tourists alike.

Beijing's famous Beihai Park, a public park and former imperial garden, is staging performances themed around bianzhong, or Chinese chime bells which has a history of over 2,000 years.

In tourist towns and villages of Yunnan Province in the southwest, Zhejiang Province in th east and Guangdong Province in the south, lively folk and dragon dances are gathering numerous locals and tourists to join in the festivities.

Audiences are enjoying a poetry recitation show in Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, and a symphony in Zunyi City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, respectively.

This year, Suining City in southwest China's Sichuan Province and Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the northwest, have both prepared giant freshly made mooncakes enough to treat hundreds of people at a same time. And in a village of the southwestern Chongqing Municipality, people have prepared their own mooncakes on a flour ground from their newly harvested red sorghum.

"We are filled with the joy of harvest during the merry traditional festival. The festive mood is really nice," said Liu Ya, a local of Jiangjun Village in Chongqing's Bishan District.

Elsewhere, villages in Wuyuan County, east China's Jiangxi Province, are also celebrating their harvest of red pepper by drying them on the roofs. And another village in the eastern province of Shandong has recently held a large banquet for local households to share.

Outside the mainland, colorful lanterns are also dotting the various landmarks, streets and alleyways of Hong Kong and Macao, adding to the festive joy.

Celebrations held across China to mark traditional Mid-Autumn Festival