On June 29, 2023, Vice President Han Zheng attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) in Changsha City, Hunan Province. President of Malawi Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of Zanzibar of Tanzania Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Wamkele Mene, and more than 1,000 representatives from various sections in 68 countries and regions attended the event.
Han Zheng said that the establishment of the CAETE is an important measure of cooperation with Africa approved personally by President Xi Jinping. During his visit to Africa in March 2013, President Xi put forth for the first time the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and of pursuing the greater good and shared interests in developing China's relations with Africa. Ten years on, no matter how the international landscape has changed, China and Africa have always been engaged in sincerity, friendship, solidarity and cooperation, high-level exchanges have been closer, the size of cooperation has been constantly increased, the areas of cooperation have been continuously expanded, and the two sides have formed a community with a shared future and shared closely entwined converging interests, which has yielded fruitful outcomes and benefited the people of China and Africa.
Han Zheng pointed out that the world today is fraught with multiple challenges and crises, and the development gap has been continuously widening. China is ready to provide new opportunities for Africa through Chinese modernization and China's high-quality development, to promote China-Africa practical cooperation in an in-depth and substantive way. China firmly supports Africa in pursuing an independent development path, and will advance Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa in an in-depth manner. China will work with African countries to constantly deepen the synergy of strategies, strengthen cooperation in industrial and supply chains, strive to boost connectivity, jointly focus on sustainable development, firmly advance opening up and development, and promote the building of a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.
Han Zheng said that China-Africa cooperation has continuously developed in a comprehensive, multi-level and high-quality manner, played an important guiding role in South-South cooperation and international cooperation with Africa, and has set a good example for building a new type of international relations. The third CAETE, themed "Common Development for a Shared Future", will provide an enabling platform for China and Africa to keep alignment, conduct exchanges and explore cooperation. Han Zheng expressed welcome to all walks of life of China and Africa to actively participate in the events of the CAETE, to jointly write a new chapter of high-quality development of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation and jointly share the new future of development and prosperity in a new era.
Prior to the opening ceremony, Han Zheng inspected the exhibition booths of the CAETE, got briefed on relevant situations, and had exchanges and interactions with those responsible for agencies in the exhibition.
