The Second China-Africa Relations Seminar was held from April 17-19 at the Yunnan University in south China's Yunnan Province. The seminar centered on issues such as new initiatives, cooperation opportunities and challenges in Sino-African relations

Lu Shaye, Director General of the Department of African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, analyzed the recent coups in Mali and Guinea-Bissau, and discussed the deep-rooted problems behind political development in Africa. He also emphasized that the Chinese enterprises "going out" strategy needed to be transformed and updated under the new situation.

Lu said the "going out" strategy, in the past decade, has proven to be successful as economic cooperation and trade between China and Africa has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years. However, Chinese enterprises are currently in a critical moment of strategic transformation. "Chinese enterprises [in Africa] must have an overall plan for capacity development, nurturing a sense of responsibility and risk awareness, and increase awareness of public diplomacy," Lu told ChinAfrica.

The seminar, hosted by the Chinese Research Society of African Affairs, attracted more than 100 people, including senior scholars and experts in the African studies field as well as government officials, business delegations and media.