On April 24, Mr. Zhang Wei, Minister and Deputy Head of the Mission of China to the African Union attended the signing ceremony of the agreement on the joint establishment of the China-Africa Research Center between China-Africa Institute and Addis Ababa University. President Ye Hailin of the China-Africa Institute and President Samuel Kifle of Addis Ababa University signed the agreement on behalf of the two sides.

In his remarks, Minister Zhang elaborated on President Xi Jinping’s four propositions on safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. He noted that, against the backdrop of intertwined changes and turbulence in the international landscape, it is of great importance to deepen exchanges on development philosophies among countries and promote mutual learning among civilizations. He congratulated both sides on actively implementing the Partnership Action for Mutual Learning among Civilizations proposed by President Xi Jinping at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), with the establishment of the China-Africa Research Center serving as an important measure in this regard.

Minister Zhang expressed the hope that the Center will be built into as an important platform for deepening exchanges of governance experience between China and Africa, an important intellectual support for jointly upholding the international order, an important window for promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and an important base for nurturing young scholars and interdisciplinary talents in China and Africa.