On January 8, 2026, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the launching ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

Xi Jinping noted that organizing the Year of People-to-People Exchanges on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa is an important consensus reached between him and African leaders, and marks a significant step to further cement public support for China-Africa friendship at a new historical starting point.

Xi Jinping emphasized that exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations constitute an inexhaustible driving force for the progress of human civilization as well as world peace and development. The two great civilizations of China and Africa have been enriching each other for thousands of years, serving as the historical and intellectual source of China-Africa friendship.

Xi Jinping expressed the hope that both sides will seize the Year of People-to-People Exchanges as an opportunity to carry forward traditional friendship, strengthen mutual learning among civilizations, expand people-to-people exchanges, especially among the youth, deepen exchange of governance experience, and jointly advance modernization. Through these efforts, the two sides can promote closer bonds among the over 2.8 billion people in China and Africa, pooling their hearts, minds and strengths, and make new contributions to the Global South's solidarity in addressing global challenges, promoting the common values of humanity, and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.