…Ambassador Yang Xiaokun says Lesotho’s beauty “left a profound impression on him”
Sekete Lesaoana
MASERU, Lesotho – The People’s Republic of China’s new Ambassador to Lesotho, Yang Xiaokun on Tuesday waxed lyrical about Lesotho’s and Africa’s beauty during his welcome reception in Maseru.
The glitzy reception was held to mark the beginning of Ambassador Yang’s mission after replacing Ambassador Lei Kezhong, who left in July after the end of his five-year tenure. It was attended by Foreign Affairs minister, Letjone Mpotjoane, and Communications minister, Nthati Moorosi, among other important dignitaries.
And speaking during the welcome reception at a local hotel on Tuesday, Ambassador Yang said his impression of Africa remained unchanged having served in Lusaka as his country’s envoy in Zambia 30 years ago.
While his diplomatic experience has changed 30 years after his Zambia tenure, “What remains unchanged is my sincere affection for Africa and its people, and the enduring and ever-renewing friendship and shared destiny between China and Africa,” said Ambassador Yang in his keynote address.
“Over the past two months, I have visited several cities and mountainous regions in Lesotho. The unique landscapes and rich history of this “Kingdom in the Sky” have left a profound impression on me. I am deeply touched by the sincerity, solidarity, and hospitality of the industrious Basotho people.
“I have had the pleasure of meeting many friends from the political, business, academic, and media sectors, as well as representatives from Chinese enterprises and the Chinese community in Lesotho. The warm welcome and earnest expectations I have received from everyone have made me feel at home and deeply aware of my significant responsibilities. These experiences have also filled me with confidence and strength regarding the bright prospects of the friendly and cooperative relations between China and Lesotho.”
He said 2024 would be a memorable year for China and Lesotho being the 30th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Apart from that, Lesotho was also celebrating its 200th anniversary of its founding while China was celebrating its 75th anniversary.
And looking into the future, this September will mark the beginning of new session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.
In September, the new session of FOCAC Summit will be held in Beijing, bringing together the China-Africa family once again since 2018. I am pleased that a Lesotho high level delegation will participate in the Beijing Summit.
FOCAC was established twenty-four years ago, and serves as a platform for collective dialogue and cooperation between China and Africa, focusing on practical cooperation across various fields, the alignment of development strategies, and the exchange of ideas and philosophies, he said.
“Under the guidance of FOCAC, China-Africa relations have entered a new phase of historical development, achieving remarkable accomplishments that have garnered worldwide attention. It is primarily manifested in the following four aspects:
- China-Africa political mutual trust has continued to consolidate. In 2013, President Xi Jinping chose Africa for his first overseas visit after assuming office, where he promoted the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future, put forward the principles of China’s Africa policy, which are sincerity, real results, amity, good faith, and pursuing the greater good and shared interests. Since 2013, the political mutual understanding between China and Lesotho has continuously deepened with frequent high-level interactions. The leaders of both countries have exchanged letters more than 50 times and have conducted over ten visits at/above the ministerial level. They have engaged in in-depth discussions on international and regional issues of mutual concerns at important international occasions.
- China-Africa practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results. FOCAC has promoted continuous leaps in various fields of China-Africa cooperation, especially in economic and trade sectors. In 2023, China-Africa trade reached a historic peak of $282.1 billion, 26 times that of 2000. By the end of 2022, China’s direct investment stock in Africa exceeded $40 billion, nearly a hundredfold increase from 2000. Chinese enterprises have completed over $400 billion in contracted projects in Africa. More than 3,300 Chinese enterprises have invested and operated in African countries. In Lesotho, the parliamentary building, National Library, Manthabiseng Convention Center, Lesotho China Fellowship Collegiate, and so on, are all iconic projects under FOCAC. The Mafeteng Solar Power Plant Project, Maseru District Hospital and Eye Clinic, and the Mpiti to Sehlaba-Thebe Road have been the most recent gains completed this year.
- China-Africa development strategy alignment and mutual support have deepened continuously. Within the FOCAC framework, China and Africa have promoted the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the development strategies of African countries. The initiatives proposed by China at FOCAC meetings in the modernization of agriculture, industrialization, and human resources training are well aligned with Lesotho’s priorities. The Communist Party of China has just successfully convened its 20th Central Committee’s Third Plenary Session, committing to comprehensively deepen reforms through a Chinese path to modernization. Lesotho is currently formulating a new national development strategy, focusing on enhancing added value to its industries and sustainable development capabilities. The targets and plans of development for both sides are closely aligned, and there is significant potential for future cooperation.
- China-Africa exchanges and mutual learning of ideas have developed in depth. Both China and African countries have unique historical cultures and governance philosophies. The concept of “Ubuntu” aligns with the idea of a community with a shared future for mankind. China and Africa share a deep bond rooted in mutual understanding and friendship among their peoples. China-Africa cooperation extends to grassroots levels, to every corner of the continent. Under FOCAC, China has provided over 100,000 government scholarships, established more than 60 Confucius Institutes and around 50 Confucius Classrooms, and dispatched over 20,000 medical team members, who have treated approximately 200 million patients across the continent. Here in Lesotho, we had more than 300 government scholarships, over 4,200 short-term training opportunities, one Confucius Classroom and 18 medical teams. The medical teams have treated over 200,000 patients and delivered more than 10,000 newborns.
Ambassador Yang said China-Africa cooperation within the framework of FOCAC could be attributed to three key characteristics namely:
Equality. “China has long adhered to a foreign policy that treats all countries, regardless of their size, as equals. Our approach to Africa is grounded in the principles of “sincere friendship, equality, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation.” Within the FOCAC framework, we consistently emphasize unity, collaboration, and joint planning for various initiatives”.
Real-result. “A notable characteristic of China-Africa cooperation has been keeping promises, delivering on words, and being efficient. Under FOCAC, the consensus reached by Chinese and African leaders is implemented step by step, with a comprehensive action plan issued every three years and progress reviewed periodically. Since 2000, FOCAC has convened eight ministerial conferences and three summits, with the outcomes of each meeting being achieved ahead of schedule and exceeding expectations”.
Openness. “Each session of FOCAC has invited representatives from various international and regional organizations to participate as guests and observers to the opening ceremonies and meetings, fostering collaborative engagement in Africa’s development. It is hoped that all parties, like China, will attach greater importance to Africa, increase investment in Africa and support Africa’s development. We are also open and willing to enhance trilateral and multilateral cooperation based on respects for African wishes”.
The FOCAC Summit would be themed: “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” fostering friendships, discussing cooperation, and envisioning the future together.
“It is believed that with the joint efforts of both China and Lesotho, Beijing summit will surely achieve great success, opening up new horizons for the development of China-Lesotho relations and writing a new chapter in the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Lesotho,” said Ambassador Yang.
