Joseph Olivier Mendo’o with two residents of the ancient city of Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in October 2021

Cameroonian Joseph Olivier Mendo’o, 29, was overjoyed following an exchange of letters with Chinese President Xi Jinping last year. 

In a letter to President Xi, the Ph.D. candidate at Peking University’s School of International Studies and other foreign participants of the Global Young Leaders Dialogue program talked about their trips across China and expressed their hopes of serving as a bridge to promote exchanges and dialogues between China and the rest of the world. 

Xi applauded them for their efforts to visit various parts of China and deepen their understanding of the country in his reply letter, and encouraged them to further exchanges and mutual learning, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. 

“Through his letter, President Xi expressed his affection for young foreigners and his sincere hope that we will play an active role in promoting people-to-people exchanges. This has made us more eager to learn more about China,” Mendo’o said. 

Indeed, his experience mirrors Xi’s calling. Mendo’o didn’t learn about China and its people only from books. On the contrary, he has left his imprint in numerous remote locations since his arrival in the country seven years ago. These regular trips have also allowed him to see the significant improvements at the grass-root level. 

Joseph Olivier Mendo’o shows Cameroonian culture to students in the Xingxian County, Shanxi Province, in July 2021

Seeing is believing  

Mendo’o harbored great curiosity about the secret of China’s rapid development before setting foot in the country at the end of 2015. Because of his curiosity, he enrolled at the University of Yaoundé’s Confucius Institute to study about the Chinese language and culture. Winner of the second prize in the Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition, he received a scholarship offered by the institute to pursue his master’s and doctoral studies in international relations at Peking University. 

For Mendo’o, the best place to truly understand the country and its culture is the countryside. He has visited more than 20 villages throughout the country over the years. One of the most significant experiences he had was in July 2021 during his stay in Xingxian County, a formerly impoverished county in Shanxi Province, where he had the opportunity to work as an assistant to a village Party chief. 

He constantly followed the Party secretary to learn about Shahao Village’s everyday activities. The residents’ “strong” friendship and “unshakeable” trust in the Communist Party of China aroused his curiosity. “The living conditions and the wellbeing of the people are of the utmost importance to the village leaders. They have information about each family’s condition and concerns,” Mendo’o told ChinAfrica.  

Through his journey to Xingxian, he was able to obtain answers to the question: What is behind these successes, from the effective fight against COVID-19 to the eradication of absolute poverty? “All of this was made possible by the Party’s strong leadership and its people-centered development philosophy,” he said. 

Three months later, Mendo’o visited Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with his classmates. In Shihezi City, he watched farmers operate large automated cotton harvesting machines. “Xinjiang’s cotton plantation and production apply a plethora of technologies such as drip irrigation and mechanized picking, which no longer require much labor,” he pointed out. “I have not seen any ‘forced labor’ as described by some Western media. Rather than believing in their reports, I rely more on my own eyes.” 

During his visits, he also observed people striving to promote ecotourism in the scenic site of Shahu in Yongning County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, providing evidence to concept of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable asset.”  

Environmental performance is, in fact, one of the transformations Mendo’o witnessed in China throughout his stay. “The Chinese Government and people energetically pursue green growth, fostering harmonious coexistence between man and nature in order to accomplish coordinated and sustainable development of the economy and the environment,” he testified. 

Joseph Olivier Mendo’o (center front) takes a photo with residents in Xingxian County, Shanxi Province, in July 2021

Bringing youth together 

In addition to understanding China and its culture through hands-on experience, Mendo’o, also head of the Delegation of African Youth in China and President of Peking University African Students Association, is actively involved in youth exchanges and cooperation between Africa and China. For instance, in July 2019, he co-founded the China-Africa Youth Federation, a platform for young people involved in business, arts, education, and other professions to communicate and seek consultation. 

He also frequently participates in youth forums, such as the China-Africa Young Leaders Forum, where he shares his experiences in China and engages in discussions with academics from all backgrounds. Besides, African students studying in China have created informational brochures in foreign languages at his suggestion to teach their fellow citizens about the Chinese approach to combating the pandemic. 

He believes that the involvement and engagement of young people in cooperation are essential for China-Africa relations because 60 percent of the continent’s 1.3 billion people are now under the age of 25, with a median age of 19.7 years. “This makes the youth the driving force to promote solidarity and cooperation, strengthen friendship, and seek common development between the two sides,” Mendo’o told ChinAfrica. “Youth from Africa and China are crucial to all aspects of transition because they play a major role in conveying the legacy of their respective civilizations. Every young person is essential in creating and advancing the China-Africa community with a shared future.” 

Fully confident about the future development of China-Africa relations, Mendo’o plans to work in international organizations after graduation and to continue to promote the friendship between China and Africa.