Chinese president: China to invite 50 Tanzanian students to visit China

Source: Xinhua | 02-16-2009 17:20

DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has decided to invite 50 students from Tanzania to visit China within this year as part of the efforts to promote exchanges between the young people of the two countries, visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao said Monday.

Hu made the announcement in a key-note speech at the welcoming rally held by people from various sectors in this Tanzanian capital.

Hu said both Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and he "highly value the youth exchanges and cooperation between China and Tanzania and between China and Africa as a whole."

"The China-Africa friendship that we enjoy today is the result of concerted efforts of people of several generations from both sides," he said.

"People of the younger generation embody not only the hope of greater development of China and Africa, but also the promise of even stronger friendship between the two sides in the future," said the Chinese president.

The past few years have seen closer youth exchanges between China and Africa, he said, adding that over 20,000 young people from Africa have so far studied in China on Chinese government scholarships and many of them have become pillars in the development of African countries.

Many young Chinese have also come to Africa, he said, describing them as "young ambassadors for China-Africa friendship."