African parliamentarians and officials have praised China's economic and legal development following a visit to Beijing and the provinces of Shandong and Hunan, calling for stronger China-Africa ties and broader cooperation.
From Nov 6 to Thursday, representatives from 15 African countries and the Pan-African Parliament visited a blood center, a police academy, a legislative workstation and businesses in the three locations, exchanging views on democracy and the rule of law, public health, trade and new energy.
At the Beijing Red Cross Blood Center, they learned about China's laws on blood donation and saw how the country uses robots to sort blood packages and remote intelligent systems to improve emergency response.
Bumbanani Manewe, an official from the National Assembly of Botswana, said the weeklong visit had given him a deeper appreciation of China's development journey and allowed him to witness a country that has invested in its history, people, creativity and future.
"We explored important areas of cooperation, including energy, trade, health, democracy and the rule of law. These are not just topics for discussions. They are the building blocks of sustainable development and shared prosperity," he said.
Ndamuka Marimo, an official from the Pan-African Parliament, said he was most impressed by how the Hunan Police Academy combines security training with higher education to ensure law enforcement agents are both technically competent and intellectually well-trained. "That's something we should learn too," he added.
He also praised China's technological modernization, particularly in drones and heavy machinery, saying "the innovation is what we need to learn from China" in security and national development.
He described the legislative workstation alongside the Guitang River in Changsha, Hunan province, as an eye-opener, emphasizing that governance must focus on people's needs and that "governments are there to serve the aspirations of the people".
Suzana Erica da Costa Horta, an official from Angola's National Assembly, said the visit had given her insight into mechanisms for fostering closer ties between lawmakers and communities.
While underscoring the crucial role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening bilateral ties, she said the exchanges during the visit would lead to new cooperation between China and her country. She called for particular emphasis on the economy, industrialization, technology transfer, workforce training and sustainable development.
Ana Comoane, a representative of Mozambique's parliament, also stressed the role of parliaments in deepening China-Africa cooperation, overseeing the implementation of agreements and ensuring transparency in exchanges.
"The effectiveness of a partnership," she added, "lies in its impact on people's lives — on the children who study, the farmer who becomes more productive, and the young person who finds decent employment."
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between China and African countries.
Xiong Wei, director-general of the foreign affairs bureau of the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, said Chinese legislators would like to continue working with African national parliaments and the Pan-African Parliament to deepen exchanges of experience in governance and legislative oversight.
