The Fourth Meeting of China-Africa Think Tanks Forum Photo by Li Jianguo

Participants of the the Fourth Meeting of Think Tanks Forum pose for camera Photo by Li Jianguo

The Fourth Meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum (CATTF IV) was held in Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa on September 9-10. Over 100 think tank leaders, renowned scholars and officials from China, South Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopian, Zimbabwe and other African countries participated in the two-day meeting, discussing the "New Development Trends under African Vision 2063." 

Ambassador NJ Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Li Song, Charge d'Affaires ad Interim of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, Dai Bing, Deputy Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Professor Jiang Guojun, President of Zhejiang Normal University, Tian Yunhai, Director-General of the Office of American and African Affairs of China Development Bank and Joel Netshitenzhe, Executive Director of Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection addressed the opening ceremony. 

Li Song said that the gathering in Pretoria of top think tanks and senior scholars from China and Africa, for in-depth discussions on Africa's development and China-Africa relations and cooperation, is very significant for the preparation of the upcomingForum on China Africa Cooperation(FOCAC) summit scheduled for early December 2015.

"China and Africa enjoy time-honored relationships," he said. "China-Africa cooperation contributes to more than 20 percent of Africa's economic growth. Our cooperation has not only brought concrete benefits to both sides, but also built China-Africa community of shared interests and destiny." 

The forum was divided into 12 break-away panels in 4 topic groups: New Trends in Post-2015 Development and African Relations with the World, Significance of Africa's 2063 Vision and Its Implementation, Sino-African Productivity Cooperation and Construction of High-Speed Railway, Road and Regional Airway along with Infrastructural Industrialization and A Dialogue Between Ubuntu and Confucianism: African and Chinese Learn from Each Other's Culture Heritage. 

Jointly organized by Zhejiang Normal University, Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection and DIRCO, the event also enjoyed the support of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the FOCAC, the Chinese Embassy in South Africa and China Development Bank.

Initiated in 2011, CATTF has been successfully held four times, with the first three being held respectively in Hangzhou, Ethiopia and Beijing.