The Seminar on Ecological Civilization and Green Poverty Reduction for African Officials and Scholars concluded on April 25, 2026, with a closing ceremony held at the China-Africa Institute (CAI). The seminar, hosted by the CAI and organized by Xiangtan University (XTU), brought together 20 officials and scholars from nine African countries: Angola, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The closing ceremony was attended by Professor Tian Feng, Vice President of the CAI; Professor Zhang Xiaohu, Executive Deputy Director of China-Africa Research Institute at XTU; Dr. Wang Weifeng, research fellow of China-Africa Research Institute, and the African participants. Dr. Liu Zhongwei, Deputy Director of the Division of International Relations Studies at the CAI presided over the ceremony.

Prof. Tian Feng is making speech 

Prof. Tian Feng extended a warm welcome to the African friends who  traveled from afar to take part in the seminar. She congratulated all participants on successful completion of the program, and expressed gratitude to XTU staff for organizing the seminar. She noted that the seminar is a concrete step in implementing the initiatives under the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. It is an important practice for carrying forward traditional friendship and deepening mutual learning among civilizations. It is important for strengthening China-Africa exchanges on governance experience and jointly advancing eco-friendly modernization. She said, China is ready to work more closely with African countries to forge greater synergy between development strategies and deepen cooperation in ecological protection, green poverty reduction, and clean and renewable energy. Though mutual learning, the two sides can enhance their governance capacity and build a solid foundation for a sustainable modernization path. 

She stressed that against the backdrop of accelerating profound changes unseen in a century, the global balance of power is undergoing great transformations. The international landscape is fraught with intertwined volatility and chaos, marked by persistent regional unrest and conflicts. Meanwhile, the global governance deficit continues to enlarge, and security challenges have become increasingly prominent. As important members and staunch forces of the Global South, China and Africa shoulder the mission of the times to uphold international fairness and justice, defend the shared interests of developing countries, and push for reforms that make the global governance system more just and equitable. She expressed the hope that China and Africa will build more consensus, pool greater strength, and together build a model of solidarity and cooperation for the Global South.

Group photo

The seminar was held from April 12 to 26, featuring exchanges between Chinese and African scholars on theories and practices of ecological civilization and green poverty reduction. The African participants brought reflections on their own countries’ development paths and hopes for deeper China-Africa cooperation. They gained a greater appreciation of China-Africa friendship and witnessed the real landscape of development cooperation, after visiting the revolutionary heritage sites and the pilot zone for in-depth China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. They also toured demonstration villages for rural revitalization, and carried out field visits to front-lines of primary-level governance, where they experienced vivid examples of China putting into practice the principle of “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”

African participants speaking at the closing ceremony

Speeches of thanks were given at the closing ceremony by three African participants: Mr. Tiisetso Mashishi, Acting Deputy Director-General of South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment; Prof. Mamadou Yaya Diallo, Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal; and Mr. Edson Ulisses de Carvalho Alves Barreto, Director of the Office of Staff Affairs to the President of the Republic of Angola.

They expressed their gratitude to the Chinese side for its thoughtful arrangements and dedicated efforts. They also pledged to take what they had learned from the seminar back to their home countries, and continue to contribute to the building of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

A scene of the seminar closing ceremony 

Prof. Tian Feng presented certificates of completion to the African participants and expressed hope that they can turn their experience of this trip into a driving force for closer China-Africa ties and for the development of their own country. She expressed her confidence that with joint efforts, China-Africa friendship will keep gaining new vitality, and China-Africa cooperation will continue to flourish.