Gideon H Chitanga, PhD is a Political and International Relations Analyst Africa -China relations will take a special focus on expanding cooperation in culture, education, tourism, the arts and youth exchanges. On Jan 8, 2026, Chinese and African leaders gathered at the headquarters of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, to launch the, “ 2026-Year of People-to-People Exchanges” initiative. The ceremony was attended by member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi.
African leaders present included the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Congo, Jean-Claude Gakosso, the African co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and the President of Ethiopia, Taye Atske-Selassie Made. More than 200 participants attended the event, including senior officials from the AU Commission and AU institutions, diplomatic envoys from African countries to the AU, high-level representatives of the United Nations agencies, government officials and representatives from various sectors of Ethiopia. The 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges is an important initiative jointly agreed upon by President Xi Jinping and African leaders at the Forum for China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.
The priorities of the initiative, and its people-centered approach directly links to Agenda 2063, the African Union’s long-term development blueprint, which emphasizes dignity, cultural confidence, integration, and inclusive growth, and the spirit of both Confucianism and Ubuntu as the bedrock of China-Africa cooperation. A White paper unveiled in 2025, says that over 58 major events, and nearly 600 total activities are planned to take place in both China and Africa. The activities and events include the commemoration of the China-Africa Cultural Silk Road Exchange Month, wushu conferences, film festivals, and fashion shows amongst others. The agenda of the initiative indicates that over 20 specific projects and various pan-African initiatives will take place in South Africa with the support of the Chinese Embassy and AU partners, while others will be in other parts of Africa.
