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BEIJING. – A Zimbabwean, Michael Mubaiwa, recently won the grand prize in 2021 China-Africa Video and Photo Competition for his work Love for Guqin in the video category.

Speaking at the awards ceremony in Beijing, Deng Li, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, said he was glad to see that entries submitted by the contestants contains touching stories in various aspects of China-Africa friendship, ranging from China’s medical aid in Africa and Chinese helping communities in African countries fight the coronavirus pandemic to how young Chinese are attracted by Africa drum and dance performances and how young Africans are exploring the secrets of poverty reduction in China’s rural areas.

“It is stories like these that have driven the development of China-Africa cooperation and make us confident about the prospects of the China-Africa relationship,” he said.

Deng said China-Africa cooperation has continued to grow in recent years despite the pandemic, thanks to the contribution of people in various sectors. He called for continued contribution as the Senegal meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) approaches.

Martin Chedondo, Zimbabwean Ambassador to China, said that the competition is a celebration of friendship and cultural diversity between China and Africa. He regarded pictures and videos as an optimal way to reflect and share cultural experiences and friendship in the pandemic era. He also paid tribute to Mubaiwa for showcasing the unique friendship and charismatic cultural traits of Zimbabwe.

In his speech, Gao Anming, vice president and editor-in-chief of China International Publishing Group, said that the competition is a response to the call for improved people-to-people exchanges included in the eight major initiatives proposed by China at the 2018 Beijing Summit of the FOCAC. He emphasized the importance of joint efforts from both Chinese and African people in promoting China-Africa ties. – IOLNews