Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao appealed to enhance China-Africa non-governmental communication and friendship at the 4th China-Africa People’s Forum (CAPF) in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province on August 26.

The forum, themed “Joining Efforts Towards Building China-Africa Community of Shared Destinies and Embracing A New Horizon in People-to-People Friendship,” attracted former and present political figures, scholars, enterprises and organizations from nearly 30 African countries. 

Li called for increasing communication among non-governmental sectors between China and Africa including enterprises and NGOs, as well as youth and women’s groups. He encouraged more Chinese enterprises and people to invest and travel in Africa, and welcomed Africans to open businesses and study in China as well. 

Li highlighted the role of cooperation in bettering people’s lives and encouraged sharing experiences, techniques and applications results to help development in Africa. Through the African talent plan, China seeks to foster management and occupational skills to help African nations harness their abundant human resources on their road to development. 

The Chinese government encourages people’s capital to “step out” and realize industrial transfer. “We wish African countries to create a sound legal, policy, integrity and social consensus environment, and enhance the infrastructure construction, attract China’s capital to invest in Africa,” Li said on the forum.

Li also stressed the importance of developing mutual understanding and trust between China and Africa’s non-governmental sectors. Both China and Africa should be understanding and communicate openly when encountering new challenges, Li appealed. 

Since it began in 2011 in Kenya, The China-Africa People’s Forum has been an institutionalized supporting event of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which has a 15-year-history. The forum has been held annually in China’s Suzhou and Sudan each year. 

In 2012, Xi Jinping, then Vice President of China, underlined that the Chinese government supports the participation of civil organizations from both China and Africa. In 2014, President Xi commended the CAPF as “a bridge for heart-to-heart communication between Chinese and African people and a platform for sharing experiences in development.”