Jean Ping, a Legendary Figure In Sino-African Contacts

Jean Ping completed his term of office as Chairman of the Commission of the African Union in 2012， and， this year， made his sixth visit to China at the invitation of the CPAFFC to receive its honorary title of Friendship Ambassador.

He was born in Gabon in 1942. His father， Cheng Zhiping， was a wellknown local timber merchant from Wenzhou， Zhejiang Province who emigrated to Gabon in the 1930s， married the daughter of a local chief and reared three sons. Being brought up in a bicultural environment， Jean Ping eventually became like a seed of Sino-African friendship planted in the soils of Gabon， taking root and eventually bearing much fruit.

After finishing his primary education in Gabon， he went to study in France and received a doctorate in economics. His diplomatic career began in 1972， when he started to work at the United Nations Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization （UNESCO） as an international civil servant， and later， he became Executive Officer of the Assistant Director General for Cooperation and External Relations.

Then， he was appointed counselor of the Gabonese Embassy in France and Permanent Delegate of the Gabonese Republic to UNESCO. From 1990， he held various ministerial posts such as minister of information， mining， energy and hydroelectric resources， finance， and planning. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs， Cooperation and Francophony in 1999.

He also served as President of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries （OPEC）， Vice Chairman of the Group of 77， and President of the 59th Session of the United Nations General Assembly； in February 2008， he was elected President of the Com- mission of the African Union.

In his diplomatic career， he always adhered to the values of his father， and his calm， tolerant， intelligent and diligent character won him wide praise and recognition. He has been awarded medals of Grand Officer of the Equatorial Star （Gabon）； Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor （France）； Officer of the Pleiades， the Order of the Francophony； Grand Cross of Merit（Portugal）. In 2004， he was awarded an honorary doctorate from China Foreign Affairs University.

Nurtured in the traditional cultures of China and Africa， Jean Ping has profound feelings for China and his hometown Wenzhou. In the mid-1980s， as director of the President’s Office， he accompanied Gabonese President on his visit to China.

That was his first visit to the country； his second was made in 1994 when he was Foreign Minister and accompanied the Gabonese Prime Minister. He went to Wenzhou during the visit and was accorded warm hospitality. The hard working， self-improving and pioneering spirit of Wenzhou left a deep impression on him.

In October 2003， he participated in the World Wenzhou People’s Conference and in September 2009， he returned to his hometown to attend the opening ceremony of the Museum of China-Gabon Friendship. He was present at the ceremony for the publication of the Chinese version of his book Et l’Afrique brillera de mille feux （Africa Will Shine Brighter than a Thousand Flames） in November 2010， and the Second Dialogue Between Chinese and African Governors and Mayors in June 2013.

Due to his China ties and cultural identity， Jean Ping has worked enthusiastically to promote contact between the people of China and Gabon. He set up the Gabon-China Friendship Association in 2003， and became its president. Through his encouragement， Port Gentil of Gabon and Wenzhou established friendshipcity relations in 2010.

He said then that he was an African with Chinese roots and feelings and concerned about the changes and development of the country. He believed that the 21st Century would see the rise of the Chinese nation and that China’s prosperity and progress would bring incalculable influence on peace and progress of the world.

Today， the Museum of ChinaGabon Friendship， a modern building with Chinese and African features， stands in Yitou Village of Linjiang Township， hometown of Jean Ping. The cost of more than 8 million Yuan for its construction was covered by fund-raising in Wenzhou.

In the Museum， the rich collection of photos and African sculptures relates Jean Ping’s ties with Yitou Village， his extraordinary process of growth， his achievements， as well as his outstanding contributions to China-Africa friendship.