On 7th November 2018, Chinese Ambassador to Botswana H.E. Dr. Zhao Yanbo delivered a public lecture titled “Jointly Build an Even Stronger China-Africa Community With a Shared Future in the New Era” at the Conference Center of University of Botswana. Professor David Norris, Vice Chancellor of University of Botswana, Professor Andy Chebanne, Dean of Faculty of Humanities, H.E.Mr. Sasara George, Former Ambassador of Botswana to China, Mr. Diabi Mmualefe, Former Director of Department of Asia and the Pacific of Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation, and faculty members from University of Botswana attended the lecture.

During his presentation, Ambassador Zhao summarized the China and Africa as good brothers with sincerity, friendship, equality and mutual respect, good partners in pursuit of win-win cooperation and common development, and good friends who enjoy a natural feeling of kinship and eager to learn from each other’s culture and development experience.

Ambassador Zhao highly commended the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit which was successfully held in China in September. He pointed out that China will follow a "five-no" approach in the relations with Africa, and will work with Africa to achieve “six goals” of building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. China will launch eight major initiatives in the next three years in order to substantiate China-Africa win-win cooperation.

Ambassador Zhao hailed the historic importance of the recent state visit by H.E. President Masisi to China. He highlighted the fruitful results on high level exchanges, development cooperation and friendship-building between the two countries. He said the successful visit marked a new era for China-Botswana bilateral relations with joint efforts of both sides to implement cooperation outcomes on infrastructure, economic and trade, investment, capacity building cooperation as well as people-to-people exchanges.

Professor Norris said University of Botswana attaches great importance to the education cooperation with Chinese side, and will maintain close contact with the Chinese embassy so as to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Chinese academic and cultural circles.

After the lecture, Ambassador Zhao answered questions on China’s development experience, the Belt and Road Initiative, and China-Africa and China-Botswana relations, etc.

A number of local newspaper and Chinese media covered the event.