Foreign ministers from across the world have backed the rapid development of China’s Hunan province and the impact it is having on the rest of the world.
220 foreign diplomats and representatives from 145 countries and international organizations have been meeting in China over the past three days, under the invitation of China’s Foreign Ministry.
In recent years, Hunan has made “opening-up and rising through innovation” its overall development strategy.
The area has made constant innovations in science and technology, products, culture and poverty alleviation, and scored new results in promoting high-quality development.
Foreign ambassadors spoke highly of the developments and links formed that could be beneficial for their home countries.
Ethiopian ambassador to China Teshome Toga said China is Ethiopia’s largest trading partner, largest investment source and largest project contractor.
Toga said his country would integrate ties further by leveraging on Hunan’s growing influence.
“We are planning to further intensify the cooperation with Hunan in such areas as tourism, culture, education and city construction, seeing that we have a very firm and friendly partnership. Ethiopia hopes to become the bond between Hunan and the African continent,” he said.
Ugandan ambassador to China Crispus Kiyonga said that in the past two years, Uganda and Hunan have seen continuously deepening economic exchange and cooperation, closer high-level visits, and constant communication between their technical personnel.
“We are working actively to implement these cooperation projects. I’m pleased to see that some Hunan enterprises have already made investments or built plants in Uganda. We will take a series of measures to push the Uganda-Hunan Industrial Park onto the fast track. Of course, we need the support of all walks of life in Hunan to do that,” said Kiyonga.
The event, titled, “China in the New Era: Innovative Hunan Embracing the World” was an opportunity for attendees to learn more about an innovative and open Hunan and to set up a platform for future cooperation between China and the world.
Envoys from the Dominican Republic and Cambodia promised to leverage more on boosting tourism ties as well as people to people exchanges.
Russian ambassador to China Andrey Denisov was moved by the cultural heritage in Hunan.
“The Russian embassy in China will spare no effort in promoting the communication and cooperation between Hunan and different places of Russia,” he said.
