 African students invited to China
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-02-17 07:48 DAR ES SALAAM: Fifty students from Tanzania will be invited to visit China this year as part of the efforts to promote exchanges between the young people of the two countries, President Hu Jintao said yesterday. Hu made the statement during his speech at a welcoming ceremony held in the Tanzanian capital.
Hu said that he and Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete "highly value youth exchanges and cooperation between China and Tanzania, and between China and Africa as a whole". "The friendship between China and Africa, which we enjoy today, is the result of concerted efforts of the people of several generations from both sides," he said. "People of the younger generation embody not only the hopes for greater development of China and Africa, but also the promise of a stronger friendship between the two," he said. Applauding Hu's speech, Kikwete said: "You can never go wrong in investing in young people." The Tanzanian president hoped the students could study engineering and science in China. The past few years have seen more frequent exchanges between Chinese and African youngsters, Hu said. More than 20,000 young people from Africa have so far studied in China on Chinese government scholarships and many have become pillars in the development of African countries, he said. "Working in local communities day in and day out, they have gone through thick and thin together with the people there and contributed their share to economic and social progress in Africa," Hu said. Hu spoke of his 2007 visit to Africa, during which he invited 500 young Africans to visit China, saying their visits helped enhance mutual understanding and friendship between young people in China and Africa. "We will continue to work with African countries to vigorously promote exchanges and cooperation between young people," he said. Tanzania is the fourth leg of Hu's Asia-Africa tour, which has taken him to Saudi Arabia, Mali and Senegal. He arrived in Mauritius last night on the last leg of his visit. China Daily - Xinhua (China Daily 02/17/2009 page3) |
