Addis Ababa, January 8 (Xinhua) -- On January 8, 2026, the opening ceremony of the "China Africa Cultural Exchange Year" was held at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa.   More than 200 high-level officials from the African Union Commission and its institutions, ambassadors from African countries to the African Union, high-level representatives from United Nations agencies, representatives from the Ethiopian government and various sectors attended.

Wang Yi said that China Africa relations have a long history, and traditional friendship has become even stronger over time. The ancient Silk Road and Zheng He's great voyages have made us acquainted and familiar with each other. The common struggle for national liberation and independence in modern times has made us as close as brothers. The active exploration of seeking development and revitalization has made our destiny even more shared. In recent years, under the joint leadership of leaders from both sides, cultural exchanges between China and Africa have been colorful, fruitful, and full of vitality. We are pleased to see that the Chinese and African people are getting closer and closer, China Africa cooperation is becoming wider and wider, and China Africa friendship is becoming deeper and deeper. It has been proven that people to people exchanges are the strongest foundation of the China Africa Friendship Building, and mutual learning of civilizations is the strongest driving force for the ship of China Africa cooperation.

Wang Yi stated that the world is currently undergoing unprecedented changes, and the international landscape is undergoing significant historical changes. The unstoppable development and rise of the global South, represented by China and Africa. At the same time, the world is still not peaceful. The law of the jungle violates international law and basic norms of international relations, and power bullying infringes on the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries. In the face of a turbulent and intertwined world, China and Africa need to uphold fairness and justice, strengthen unity and mutual assistance, and enhance exchanges and cooperation more than ever before. Both sides should adhere to the priority of development, be comrades in promoting modernization, and make the Chinese market a great opportunity for Africa; We must adhere to the principle of putting the people first, and as practical practitioners serving the people, constantly tighten the emotional bond between the 2.8 billion Chinese and African people; We must adhere to mutual learning and mutual learning, be a proactive force in governing and exchanging ideas, and inject more vitality into the stable and far-reaching development of China Africa cooperation; We must adhere to openness and inclusiveness, be good partners with a shared destiny, and make contributions to the progress of human civilization in China and Africa.

Wang Yi said that both China and Africa are currently at a critical stage of their respective development and revitalization, with vast opportunities for cooperation and even brighter prospects. Let us take the opening of the "China Africa Cultural Exchange Year" as an opportunity, uphold the original intention of friendship, build a solid foundation for cooperation, continuously improve the quality of the all-weather China Africa community with a shared future in the new era, and jointly welcome a better tomorrow for China Africa relations and the global South!

  I believe that the exchange year activities will write a new chapter in Africa China relations, deepen the dialogue between the two civilizations, enhance the exchange of ideas, and tighten the bond between the people. The African side is willing to take this opportunity with the Chinese side to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as culture, education, tourism, art, and youth, and promote the continuous development of Africa China relations.

African leaders say that the people of Africa and China are as close as brothers, and cooperation between Africa and China is mutually beneficial. The African side highly appreciates the tradition of the Chinese Foreign Minister's annual first visit to Africa, sincerely admires China's tremendous development achievements, and appreciates China's support and assistance to Africa. Since the establishment of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, both sides have worked hard and achieved fruitful results in areas such as economy, trade, connectivity, agriculture, education, and communication, contributing to the development agenda of the African Union. Africa is willing to deepen cooperation with China within the framework of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation and the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" to achieve common development. The current international situation is plagued by frequent chaos, and the international order is severely impacted.   Long live the friendship between Africa and China!

Wang Yi also unveiled the logo of the "China Africa Cultural Exchange Year" together with African leaders.

Before the opening ceremony, Wang Yi had friendly exchanges with Taye and Kakoso.

Editor: Tang Yun