The "China-Africa Friendly Night 2018", hosted by China-Africa Friendly Economic and Trade Development Foundation (CAFETDF), has recently taken place at Yuyang Hotel Beijing. Wang Xiaohui, General Manager of Shandong Lingong Import & Export Co., Ltd. and Zhang Kai, International Strategic Customer Director at SDLG Beijing Office were invited. The event, with the theme "Cooperation, Leap, Development, Advancement", brought together friends from all walks of life, taking on a warm and friendly atmosphere. Zhang Yi, Chairman of CAFETDF and leaders of local governments got together with envoys of more than 40 African and "Belt and Road" countries to China including Egypt, South Sudan, Republic of Congo, Ghana, Algeria, Senegal, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Rwanda, Russia, Belarus, Iran, Bahrain, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, representatives of international organizations and reporters. Zhang Zongwu, Secretary-General of CAFETDF presided over the event.
 

 

Zhang Zongwu, Secretary-General of China-Africa Friendly Economic and Trade Development Foundation presides over the event

 

Zhang Yi delivered a welcome address. He said that the foundation would stay true to its mission in 2018, promote the international exchanges and cooperation between Chinese enterprises and foreign enterprises while fulfilling the tasks entrusted by the government, and build a more solid platform for China's cooperation with African countries and "Belt and Road" countries. He hoped that the foundation would constantly strengthen all-round cooperation with governments at all levels, international organizations, embassies of African countries and "Belt and Road" countries in China, as well as Chinese and foreign enterprises, in a bid to promote China's international capacity cooperation with African countries and "Belt and Road" countries.

 

Zhang Yi, Chairman of China-Africa Friendly Economic and Trade Development Foundation delivers a welcome address

 

In his address, Ali Asghar Khaji, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to China said that Iran and China are old acquaintance and Iran-China relations are enduring. Iran has developed rapidly as the second-largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa. Meanwhile, the Iranian Government has established a mechanism of enterprise-government dialogue in support of investment development. Iran and China are economically complementary, have good economic, cultural and business relations, and will surely achieve win-win in bilateral cooperation. At last, he hoped that Iran would explore a new cooperation mode and tap potential cooperation opportunities with China under the framework of the "Belt and Road" Initiative.

Ali Asghar Khaji, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to China delivers an address 

 

Mankeur Ndiaye, Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal to China said that the sign of more and more Chinese companies being attracted to Africa shows increasingly close economic ties between China and Africa. He mentioned that the Senegalese Government had worked out a series of simplified tax and regulatory policies. He hoped that Chinese enterprises would invest in Africa and Senegal-China friendly exchanges would be further promoted through multi-field and all-round cooperation.

Mankeur Ndiaye, Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal to China delivers an address

 

Karunasena Kodituwakku, Ambassador of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to China said that Sri Lanka has been an important country on the Silk Road since ancient times and the "Belt and Road" Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping has created a sharing and development platform for all "Belt and Road" countries. He hoped that Sri Lanka would strengthen cooperation with African countries through the Indian Ocean Rim Association to achieve common prosperity. At last, he said that Sri Lankan people warmly welcome Chinese and foreign friends to Sri Lanka to travel and experience local customs.

Karunasena Kodituwakku, Ambassador of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to China delivers an address

 

Anwar Yusuf Alabdulla, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to China delivered an address. He said that the relations between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have become increasingly close in recent years. China is the largest trade partner and a major oil importing country of GCC. As an important passage for accessing the Gulf, Bahrain is an important neighboring country of Arab and African countries which is of great strategic significance to the development of Asia, the Arab region and African countries. He hoped to implement the "Belt and Road" Initiative along with all walks of life in the New Year to share development achievements.

Anwar Yusuf Alabdulla, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to China delivers an address

 

As the representative of local governments, Zhang Tao, Deputy Head of Lixia District, Jinan expressed friendly New Year wishes and thanks to all guests present. He said that Jinan is a renowned cultural city with beautiful landscape and rich tourism resources. As the core district of Jinan, Lixia enjoys superb investment environment and advantage. The provincial government listed building Lixia into a central business district as a major development strategy. Based on Lixia's advantage in policies, medicine, education and other fields, the Lixia District People's Government sincerely invites Chinese and foreign friends to visit and invest in Jinan to seek common development.

 

Zhang Tao, Deputy Head of Lixia District delivers an address

 

According to recently released data, China has become Africa's largest economic partner within less than 20 years. Africa-China bilateral trade volume hit 190 billion U.S. dollars (1.3 trillion yuan) in 2016, far higher than Africa's trade volume with India, France and the U.S. As the largest investor in Africa in 2016, China has invested a total of 36.1 billion U.S. dollars (238.3 billion yuan) in Africa. By late 2017, Chinese enterprises had built more than 100 industrial parks, thousands of kilometers of railways and highways, as well as a multitude of airports and power stations in Africa.

Since 2014, SDLG and CAFETDF have maintained good cooperative relations and carried out close cooperation in diplomatic fields, international trade, "Belt and Road" projects and other major business activities. Africa is a traditional superior market of SDLG whose sales and service channels cover almost all African countries and regions. In 2017, equipment independently exported by SDLG to Africa held a share of 9.7 percent and the share was up to 55 percent in Sudan. African countries are extremely unbalanced in economic development, but African people have strong yearning for a good life. As a world leading constructor machinery manufacturer, SDLG has the responsibility and obligation to support African infrastructure construction with its outstanding products, and make African friends voting China into the United Nations enjoy the dividend from China's economic development.

 

Wang Xiaohui, General Manager of Shandong Lingong Import & Export Co., Ltd. poses with foreign envoys to China and other attendees for a group photo