The People’s Republic of China in partnership with the African Union (AU) on Monday, April 8 invested a new cooperation model called the China-Africa Institute aimed at deepening China-Africa governance collaboration, among others.

The launch in Beijing was chaired over by former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano and Yang Jiechi, a member of the ruling Communist Party of China’s (CPC) central committee who represented Chinese President Xi Jinping at the ceremony.

The induction came just days before Beijing hosts the second conference of its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) later this month which will draw together heads of State and Government from Africa, Asia and some European countries.

The director of Foreign Affairs Commission in CPC, Yang told over 40 African ambassadors and AU diplomats to China that the institute will support the principle of honesty and pursue the greater good of shared interest between the two parties.

“We fully respect African countries’ right to independently choose their development path and work with them to promote experience sharing and mutual learning to compliment governance and development,” Yang said.

Meanwhile, Yang added that China is committed to a people centered development and they will work with African friends to discover new models of cooperation for the benefit.