CAFA Delegation Visits Seychelles and Zimbabwe

delegation of the Chinese-African People’s Friendship Association （CAPFA） led by its president Abdul’ahat Abdulrixit paid a goodwill visit to the Seychelles and Zimbabwe from May 1 to 8 at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Transport of the Seychelles and the Zimbabwe-China Friendship Association （ZCFA）.

In the Seychelles， Abdul’ahat Abdulrixit met with Vice President Danny Faure； Joel Morgan， Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport； Vincent Meriton， Designated Minister for Community Development， Social Affairs and Sports； Jacqueline Moustache-Belle， Mayor of Victoria； and Marco Francis， Chairperson of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Vice President Faure， on behalf of President James Michel， welcomed the Chinese visitors. He thanked China for its generous assistance to his country in many areas， for always standing together with the Seychelles and for its important contributions to its economic and social development.

He expressed his happiness to see China speaking up for the interests of developing， small and medium-sized countries in the international arena and said that the “Chinese dream” put forward by President Xi Jinping was an inspiration to Africa. He noted that， currently， China is deepening its reform， strictly strengthening Party discipline and making great efforts to eliminate factors hindering development， providing valuable lessons for African countries. Meanwhile， the Seychelles would continue to uphold its ideals and principles to press for the development of various undertakings.

Abdul’ahat Abdulrixit spoke highly of the achievements in the development of China-Seychelles relationship and said， “China is now faced with many new problems and challenges in its fast development. The ‘four comprehensives’ strategic blueprint， namely comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society， comprehensively deepening reform， comprehensively implementing the rule of law and comprehensively strengthening Party discipline laid down by CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping aims to further the country’s reform and opening up， elevate its construction of socialist modernization to a new level and maintain its economic development momentum.”

China would like to share its development experiences with African countries so as to achieve common development， he added.

Minister Vincent Meriton said， people-to-people contacts and local government exchanges between the two countries have injected vitality into bilateral relations. The Seychelles might be a small country， but the mayor of Victoria City， nation’s capital， was chairperson of the United Cities and Local Governments （UCLG）.

His country hoped to become a link between Africa and China and further boost exchanges and cooperation in the fields of business， trade， tourism and local governments between the two sides.

Foreign Minister Joel Morgan said the Seychelles would actively coordinate activities under the strategic framework of the Belt and Road Initiatives put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping， and further promote people-to-people intercommunication so that Seychelles-China friendship would extend from government to the level of common people.

In Zimbabwe， Abdul’ahat Abdulrixit met with Vice Presidents Phelekezela Mphoko and Emmerson Mnangagwa， Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mabel Chinomona and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government， Public Works and National Housing G. S. Mlilo， and together with Parliamentary Speaker Jacob Mudenda and Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi， attended the reception marking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Zimbabwe and China and had a working meeting with the ZCFA.

Both Vice Presidents said the friendship between Zimbabwe and China had a long history. As early as the 1960s， the Chinese Government and people rendered precious moral support and material aid to the Zimbabwean people in their struggle for national liberation and independence. In fact， Zimbabwe and China announced the establishment of diplomatic relations on the day of Zimbabwe’s independence.

Over the past 35 years， China had given Zimbabwe great support. The two countries were all-weather partners， and the two peoples were good friends， partners and brothers. Zimbabwe was willing to make concerted efforts with China to further bilateral relations.

They said， China had made remarkable achievements in its economic construction， and Zimbabwe， as a young country， hoped to learn from Chinese experiences in governance of the country， as well as economic， educational and cultural development.

The friendship associations of the two countries serve as a good platform for the two peoples to share experience， which was very useful for enhancing friendship and boosting cooperation. The Zimbabwean side welcomed more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the country， particularly in agriculture， farm produce processing and infrastructure.

Deputy Speaker Mabel Chinomona said the Zimbabwean National Assembly hoped to learn from China’s experience in reform and opening up and promote legislative cooperation between the two countries.

Addressing the reception marking the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations， Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said that many Zimbabwean ministers and government officials had studied in China， and that they applied what they had learnt to their country’s economic construction and special economic zones management， thus fulfilling the country’s plan of social and economic transition.

Mandi Chimene， Acting President of the ZCFA and Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister， said that with the CAPFA’s help， the ZCFA has carried out a series of personnel exchanges with China， which had strengthened its own capacity building and more effectively promoted mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Zimbabwe and China.

She hoped that the ZCFA would continue to receive support from the CAPFA， the people of the two countries would reap real benefits from bilateral cooperation， and the friendship between Zimbabwe and China would pass on from generation to generation.

Abdul’ahat Abudulrixit expressed on various occasions his satisfaction with the smooth development of China-Zimbabwe relations， saying China would develop its relations with African countries on the principle of “sincerity， real results， affinity and good faith” put forward by President Xi Jinping， and contribute to the development of Africa within its capacity.

In terms of people-to-people relations between China and African countries， the CAPFA was willing to carry out in-depth exchanges at all levels and in various fields to enhance mutual understanding， solidifying the popular support base for China-Africa friendship so as to lay a solid foundation for further development. He also briefed on the Second Forum on China-Africa Local Government Cooperation to be held in China in August this year and extended an invitation to attend to Zimbabwean local governments.