Botswana-China relations have grown rapidly with cooperation in many fields established, said Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi in an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) while attending the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced to establish China-Botswana strategic partnership during their meeting in Beijing on Sept 5.
"I would argue that it's (China-Botswana relations has) become stronger. Recently, China and Botswana decided to upgrade their relationship to become one governed by a strategic framework. So we're strategic partners. And that's been a major step forward. We've also evolved in the sense that I have visited China. This is my third time now to visit China, my second time as president. But I've come before as minister when I was managing the poverty eradication program. And our exchange visits with a number of scholarships that China offers to the people of Botswana are totally impressive," said the president.
Masisi noted that cooperation between the two sides has expanded to various sectors, including education, politics and technology.
"We have become closer in the sense that our collaboration in institutions, such as the Food and Agricultural Organization, have become very close where we supported and campaigned for the Director General, who is of Chinese origin. We've become closer in our relationships as we have recently been invited, although on an observatory basis, to the BRICS, which China is a leading member of. We've also become closer in our technological and technocratic innovation space where we are collaborating very closely in the manufacture of semi knocked down and electric vehicles and components," he said.
Botswanan president hails cooperation with China
The rising popularity of Guochao, also known as the trend of "China-chic", has contributed to a consumption boom and more diversified consumption scenarios ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
China-chic refers to fashion trends native to China, which incorporates unique native cultural elements into the latest trends.
For this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, the brand-new event "The Empress's Mid-Autumn Feast" at the Mingtang Tiantang Scenic Area in the National Archaeological Site Park of Sui-Tang Luoyang City in central China's Henan Province has attracted many visitors.
Through interactive experiences such as the performance of court music and dance, and the Empress Wu Zetian bestowing incense, it recreated the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) palace, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere of the holiday.
The "Hanfu craze" in Luoyang City has led to an increase in the number of tourists visiting scenic spots and has extended the overall economic chain. This trend has boosted the popularity of services such as Hanfu rental, makeup and styling, and professional photography, making them widely popular.
In Luoyang's Luanchuan County, activities such as the "Fairy Palace Moon Viewing Party" at the peak of the Laojun Mountain, which stands over 2,000 meters above sea level, have driven a surge in business for the Hanfu stores at the mountain's summit, leading to a peak in consumer activity.
"This year's Mid-Autumn Festival is witnessing an increase of over 50 percent in Hanfu rentals and sales, as well as travel photography services, compared with the same period last year. With such beautiful scenery as a backdrop, the demand for traditional China-chic consumption remains strong," said Jin Ge, owner of a Hanfu store atop the Laojun Mountain.
Driven by the rise of China-chic, creative cultural products are continuously updated with new offerings.
At a glazed glass workshop in Zibo City, east China's Shandong, skilled workers were busy crafting creative glassworks featuring lively jade rabbits, a symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
As soon as the products hit the market, they quickly became popular both online and offline.
"While inheriting tradition, we've been exploring something new, developing creative products that better meet current market demands, thus winning the favor of a wide range of consumers," said Liu Jianhua, deputy general manager of Xiye Workshop.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, is a cherished occasion for family reunions in China. It falls on September 17 this year.
China-chic boom fuels consumption for Mid-Autumn Festival
