Backgrounder: China-Angola cooperation, exchanges mutually beneficial

Cooperation between China and Angola has become increasingly close in recent years as the countries worked together under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and both sides attach great importance to language and cultural exchanges.

The Confucius Institute at Agostinho Neto University (UAN), one of Angola's top universities, has enrolled more than 2,000 students since its establishment in 2015. Besides, the institute has carried out language and cultural cooperation projects with many Angolan government departments and universities to provide a better platform for exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

According to Zhao Yufeng, co-director of the UAN Confucius Institute, the first Mandarin training course for the Angolan Foreign Migration Service started on Tuesday, and 50 trainees are expected to be enrolled.

"Angola's development cannot be separated from China," said Pedro Magalhaes, rector of UAN, expressing his hope that universities in Angola and China will further strengthen exchanges.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the Republic of Angola Joao Lourenco is paying a state visit to China from March 14 to 17.

China expects this visit to inject new impetus into the all-round and in-depth development of bilateral relations and push for new progress in their friendly cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing on Tuesday.

Solid China-Angola cooperation

Since China and Angola established diplomatic relations 41 years ago, Angola has emerged as China's second-largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade reaching $23 billion in 2023. According to the National Institute of Statistics of Angola, China is Angola's largest export destination and source of imports.

In recent years, Chinese automobiles, home appliances and daily chemical products have become popular in the Angolan market. 

Investment and construction of factories in Angola by Chinese companies support Angola's industrialization and economic diversification strategies, while Chinese companies' local manufacturing and the African Free Trade Zone also provide opportunities for Chinese brands to enter the African market.

In the past decade, cooperation between China and Angola under the BRI has yielded fruitful results, said Rui Miguens de Oliveira, Angola's minister of industry and commerce, describing the initiative as promoting economic and social development on the African continent and helping Africa integrate into global trade.

"China's presence and collaboration at various levels have been crucial for our industrial relaunch," he told Xinhua News Agency.

According to statistics from the Chinese Embassy in Angola, Chinese companies have contributed to the restoration or construction of 2,800 km of railways, 20,000 km of roads, over 100,000 housing units, more than 100 schools and over 50 hospitals in Angola, and more than 400 Chinese companies have a presence in Angola.

President of the Angola-China Chamber of Commerce (CAC) Luis Cupenala told Xinhua News Agency there is still huge room for expansion in cooperation between the two countries in the agricultural field.

"In areas such as agricultural machinery equipment upgrading, sowing mechanization, farming technology refinement and food security, China's technology and practical experience are crucial to us," he said.

The 10 major China-Africa cooperation plans proposed by China are highly consistent with Angola's national development plan, Cupenala said, vowing to create a better business environment to enhance the confidence of Chinese investors to enter the Angolan market.