The ‌14^th meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum‌, themed “China-Africa Governance Experience Exchanges and Chinese Modernization” was held on May 20, 2025 in Kunming, Yunnan Province. The event is jointly hosted and organized by the ‌Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC); ‌China-Africa Institute (CAI)‌; the ‌Secretariat of Council of National High End Think Tanks, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences‌ (CASS); ‌Yunnan University of Finance and Economics‌; and the ‌Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Yunnan Province‌. 

The opening ceremony was chaired by ‌Zhu Cuiping‌, Professor and Director of the Research Institute for India Ocean Economies, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics. Six speakers addressed the opening ceremony, including Zhao Yong‌, Minister of the Department of African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China; Ye Hailin‌, President of the China-Africa Institute; Yang Shaocheng‌, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Yunnan Provincial People's Government; Chen Hong‌, Professor and Secretary of the Party Committee of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics; H.E. Elia G. Kaiyamo‌, Ambassador of the Republic of Namibia to China; and H.E. Hodan Osman Abdi‌, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Somalia to China.

The keynote speech session was chaired by ‌Tian Feng‌, Vice President of the China-Africa Institute. Nine speakers delivered speeches, including Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt‌, Former Head of the Office of the Chairperson of the AU Commission; Chen Xin‌, Executive Secretary, Council of National High End Think Tanks, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); Omar Rajabu Mjenga‌, President and Chief Executive Officer of African Centre for International Policy; Wu Chuanhua‌, Deputy Editor-in-chief of The Journal of China-Africa Studies, China-Africa Institute; Phindile Mkwanazi, Deputy Director-General for National School of Government of Republic of South Africa; Zhang Youyi‌, Deputy Director of the Office of African Development at the Center for International Knowledge on Development, Global South Research Centre; Jean-François Owaye‌, Vice President of Omar Bongo University, Gabon; Zhu Cuiping‌, Professor and Director of the Research Institute for India Ocean Economies, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics; and Abdeta Dribssa Beyene‌, Executive Director of the Centre for Dialogue Research and Cooperation. 

There are four subtopics been discussed at the forum, namely topics 1： Achieving Just and Equitable Modernization through Governance Experience Exchanges and Mutual Learning; topic 2: Spearheading Open and Win-Win Modernization with Joint Implementation of the Global Development Initiative; topic 3: Advocating People-First, Diversified and Inclusive Modernization by Deepening Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations; and topic 4: Promoting Peaceful, Secure and Eco-Friendly Modernization via Sustainable Development Experience Exchanges. 

The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of African diplomats in China, delegates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Yunnan Province, experts and scholars from Chinese and African universities and think tanks, media representatives. Among them, there are 62 delegates from over 50 African countries and the African Union (AU).