During Chinese President Xi Jinping's participation in the 15th BRICS Summit and his state visit to South Africa, China Media Group (CMG) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) reached an agreement to enhance cooperation and exchanges.

On August 23, CMG President Shen Haixiong and the Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg Letlhokwa George Mpedi signed an agreement aimed at strengthening exchanges across multiple domains including academia, personnel and culture.

Shen, accompanied by Mpedi, paid a visit to the UJ Centre for Africa-China Studies, where he also enjoyed a performance by students from the Confucius Institute.

Founded in 2018, the UJ Centre for Africa-China Studies is a research institute that focuses on the study of Africa-China relations, while also fostering bilateral connections and non-governmental exchanges. The center has a global network of scholars and experts across five countries, including four BRICS nations, namely South Africa, Brazil, Russia, China, as well as Ethiopia and Kenya.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and South Africa, said Shen Haixiong, expressing CMG's willingness to leverage President Xi's visit as an opportunity to enhance cooperation with the University of Johannesburg.

This cooperation includes the establishment of expert resource banks, joint production of cultural programs, co-hosting of forums, and facilitating personnel exchanges and training, he said.

He added that these collaborative efforts aim to provide educational resources for the study of Chinese culture and China's development in the new era, as well as fostering cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and South Africa.

Mpedi extended his congratulations to President Xi for his fruitful visit to South Africa. He expressed his willingness to further deepen bilateral cooperation with CMG, and encouraged both teachers and students to participate in the second edition of the "Great to Meet You" China-Africa Youth Video Creator Competition.

The competition, a joint collaboration between CMG Africa and the College of Media and International Culture at Zhejiang University, aims to engage the youth in fostering connections. Mpedi said the competition shows the vitality of the China-Africa friendship from the perspective of young people, which promotes mutual understanding between China and South Africa.

The University of Johannesburg is one of the largest, multi-campus, residential universities in South Africa. In 2016, it established the first Confucius Institute in Johannesburg. Courses related to traditional Chinese culture such as acupuncture and Baduanjin Qigong exercise are very popular among teachers and students.