Joint program to beef up Sino-African relations

BEIJING - Beijing will nurture more African studies scholars, in a bid to strengthen support from intellectuals who can advance actions on various issues critical to the development of Sino-African friendship, a senior minister said in an exclusive interview to China Daily.

Vice-Foreign Minister Zhai Jun, who is in charge of African affairs, said academicians on both sides would be encouraged to share development experiences through a China-Africa joint research and exchange program, which will be launched Tuesday.

Zhai said the high degree of development in Sino-African ties has offered a larger space and better requirement for academic exchanges between the two sides.