AFCONE Chairperson H.E. Gaspard Liyoko MBOYO at the launching ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 8th January 2026.
Africa and China have reaffirmed their shared belief that mutual learning between civilizations remains a vital source of development and solidarity. During a ceremony held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, the leaders released a list of 58 key activities for the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
The ceremony was successively addressed by among others the Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso of the Republic of Congo, the African co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and Ethiopian President Taye Atske-Selassie Made.
The event was attended by over 200 participants, including senior officials from the AU Commission, AU institutions, diplomatic envoys from African countries to the AU, high-level representatives of the United Nations agencies, and government officials and representatives from various sectors of Ethiopia
The While addressing the opening ceremony, China Foreign Minister H.E. Wang delivered a keynote speech, and emphasized that people-to-people exchanges constitute the most solid foundation of China-Africa friendship.
The AFCONE recognizes the importance of strategic partnership in fulfilling its mandate for peace, security and developments in Africa. “By working together, Africa can harness the benefits of nuclear science and technology, while upholding the collective commitment to the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone”, remarked by the H.E. Liyoko MBOYO during the opening ceremony.