On February 23rd, the inauguration ceremony of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School co-founded by six parties in southern Africa was held both online and offline. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, sent a congratulatory letter to the event. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Chama Cha Mapinduzi Party and Tanzanian President, attended and addressed the function. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the African National Congress of South Africa and South African President; Filipe Nyusi, Leader of the Mozambique Liberation Front Party and Mozambican President; Joao Lourenco, President of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola and Angolan President; Hage Geingob, President of SWAPO Party of Namibia and Namibian President; and Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chairman of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and Zimbabwean President, sent congratulatory letters to the event respectively. Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), attended the ceremony as a representative of the CPC. More than 2,000 people including leaders of the six parties and representatives from all walks of life in Tanzania attended the event.

Song first read out the congratulatory letter from General Secretary Xi Jinping. Song said that General Secretary Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter fully embodies the CPC’s good wishes for the successful running of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School, and great importance the CPC attaches to the development of friendly relations with the six parties in southern Africa, which provides fundamental guidelines for the Chinese and African political parties to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the new era and build a high-level community with a shared future between China and Africa. Better developing the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School is important consensus reached by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the top leaders of the six parties. The CPC and the six parties’ joint efforts in overcoming difficulties such as the COVID-19 and completing the school on schedule fully reflect the firm will and profound friendship of China and Africa to jointly tackle risks and challenges and promote common development. The completion of the school will set a new example and inject new impetus into strengthening solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa under the new situation.

Song said that under the new situation, the CPC is willing to actively implement the important consensus reached by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the top leaders of the six parties, continue to deepen exchange of experience in state governance and administration concerning issues of common interests such as party building, poverty alleviation, and development, and jointly discuss new ways and new approaches to improve governance capacity and governance level under the new situation. Both sides need to give play to the leading role of political parties, promote the "Nine Projects" of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the high-quality development of the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa, and jointly support and participate in the Global Development Initiative to lead China-Africa cooperation to higher quality and wider fields. Both sides need to strengthen communication in international affairs, firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests, practice true multilateralism, and jointly safeguard the fundamental interests of developing countries.

Hassan and leaders of the six parties in southern Africa warmly congratulated on the inauguration of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School, and expressed that the inauguration of the school is an important historical moment long awaited by countries in southern Africa and a new milestone in the development history of the six parties. It will play a very important role in strengthening the self-construction of African political parties, pushing African political parties to the forefront of the development of the times, and Africa’s journey towards a better future. Leaders of the six parties sincerely thanked the CPC for its valuable support for the construction of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School, and cherished their traditional friendship with the CPC. Admiring the great achievements China has made in various fields under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, they hoped to take the inauguration of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School as an opportunity to better learn from the CPC’s successful experience, continue to explore Africa’s road towards development and prosperity, and strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as poverty alleviation, COVID-19 control and the Belt and Road cooperation, to build together a stronger Africa-China community with a shared future.

Li Mingxiang, Assistant-minister of the IDCPC, and Chinese ambassadors to the six countries in southern Africa were present.

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