The 11-year-old giant panda Meng Meng's twin panda cubs have been gaining strength after they were born on August 22 at Zoo Berlin, in Germany, while their mother Meng Meng's health is being monitored 24 hours a day around the clock, according to the information shared by Zoo Berlin with the Global Times.
Meng Meng is being "cared for by keepers who have been familiar with her for many years," as well as by two very experienced colleagues from Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to an email sent to the Global Times by Zoo Berlin.
According to the latest blog post from the zoo, the panda team has been excited by the healthy weight development of the panda cubs. Their fluffy black ears, characteristic eye patches, and well-filled bellies indicate that they are starting to look like real giant pandas, the zoo wrote. The weight gain of the two cubs is particularly satisfactory. They have more than doubled their birth weight and currently weigh 510 g and 450 g, according to the zoo.
The zoo said that it can't predict exactly when the cubs will be on display for visitors for the first time, but there is hope that it will be later this year.
There is strong collaboration and ongoing communication between the Zoo Berlin and the giant panda base in Chengdu. On special occasions, such as mating season and births, the giant panda base in Chengdu will dispatch a carefully selected team of experts to Berlin.
It's not the first time that Meng Meng has given birth to twins. Meng Meng arrived in Germany in 2017 from China. In August 2019, Meng Meng gave birth to the twin panda cubs, Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan, in Germany. In December 2023, the twins were returned to China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent greetings to teachers and other people working in the education sector across the country at a national meeting on education held in Beijing from Monday to Tuesday.
Otsile Morake, a PhD student at Jiangsu University from Botswana and President of the Botswana Expatriates in China (BECO), is marking his 11th year in China with a sense of awe. Invited by the government of Botswana to attend this year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Morake reflected on the tremendous changes he has witnessed in China over the past decade during an exclusive interview with the Global Times. He expects China's expertise in modernizing agriculture and building infrastructure on his continent, which could greatly facilitate Africa's economic growth.
Dismissing Western narratives that hyped China is engaging in “neo-colonialism” in Africa, Morake said, “What I’m seeing with my own eyes is that Africa can benefit a lot from China,” he said, calling for deepened people-to-people and technological exchanges between the two sides.
Morake first came to East China’s Jiangsu Province on October 29, 2013, to pursue his bachelor’s degree. Now he is a PhD student majoring in management science and engineering in Jiangsu University. He started a student union for Botswana nationals studying in China in 2015. The number has been growing rapidly.
When asked about the changes that impressed him the most during the 11 years, Morake said the first thing that came to mind is how rapidly technology has advanced – the development of WeChat, Alipay, self-driven cars, electric vehicles, among other innovations.
He also took note of the infrastructure development and agricultural technology advancement, for example, the fertilizer drones and smart monitoring systems implemented in greenhouses.
Looking ahead to the outcomes of the FOCAC, Morake emphasized that the most urgent area for China-Africa cooperation is technology, “We are talking about the internet service, because once you have access to the internet, you can have access to a lot of information and other things,” he noted. Agricultural technology cooperation is also a key for the continent’s poverty alleviation efforts, where China can assist in modernizing Africa’s agricultural equipment.
He added that the exchange should not be limited to engineers and equipment being deployed to Africa and then leave, but rather let the engineers stay there, set up the missions with technology specialists operating the machines so that there will be a flow of technology and a whole industry set up in the continent.
“Another aspect I want to say is I love how Chinese people have kept their own culture and history intact for 5,000 years. I have visited over 30 cities in China, and I have seen how China integrate its history into economy, education system and technology,” the Botswana delegate said. “Protecting history shows respect to the people there. So, I think China can also help Africa to protect our culture, and our history.”
Addressing Western media’s claims about China exerting negative influence on the continent, Morake refuted the accusations, stating, "It’s not about what Western people are saying, but what I am seeing. With my 11 years of experience in China, I can confidently say that Africa stands to benefit greatly from China. How China achieved rapid economic growth is something we can learn a lot from," Morake told the Global Times.
“There are so many stories. But when you go to Africa and China, you see a completely different thing,” Morake called on people from around the world, especially those who still hold prejudice, to come and see the whole picture with their own eyes instead of hearing it from others.
Discussing his vision for the future, Morake said he plans to return to Botswana to share the knowledge he has gained in China, but at the same time, “be the gateway of communication between the two sides.”
In recent years, cooperation between East China's Zhejiang Province and African nations has steadily deepened, spanning various fields such as trade, culture, and healthcare. This reflects the high-quality advancement of the China-Africa community with a shared future.
Zhejiang has built robust people-to-people exchanges and established 31 sister-city relations with African counterparts, covering the provincial, municipal, and district levels, the Global Times learned at a press conference in Jinhua, Zhejiang, during the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Educational and cultural ties have strengthened, with over 20 universities in Zhejiang collaborating with African institutions, and eight Confucius Institutes have been established in countries like Cameroon, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
Zhejiang's efforts in vocational training have benefited more than 2,800 individuals from 160 African companies.
Cultural initiatives have also flourished, with the co-production of the film Kung Fu Dream and Zhejiang's Jinhua Wu Opera Troupe frequently performing in Africa.
Medical cooperation remains a vital aspect of the partnership. For 55 consecutive years, Zhejiang has dispatched medical teams to African countries like Mali and Namibia. In 2022-23 alone, 110 medical professionals provided healthcare services to 183,800 local people, offering free clinics in remote areas and promoting traditional Chinese medicine through workshops and training sessions.
After the press conference, South African journalist Ayanda Ntuthuko Zithulele Mdluli commended the province's multifaceted contributions, saying, "The province of Zhejiang can ensure a relationship that results in economic growth, stability, and skills transfer. It is a significant development that should be applauded."
Liu Qinghai, a professor at the Zhejiang Normal University's Institute of African Studies, highlighted Zhejiang's pivotal role, noting that "Zhejiang is a highland of China-Africa cooperation, and Jinhua is the heart of collaboration. The province has worked tirelessly to deepen people-to-people ties and ensure the sustainability of China-Africa cooperation."
Zhejiang's focus on cultural understanding and strategic alignment with African nations is seen as critical to fostering long-term collaboration, driving mutual prosperity, and strengthening the China-Africa partnership in the Belt and Road Initiative, Liu told the Global Times during the press conference.
"'It smells so good! I can't believe that the biscuits are made of pure millet!' This is always what our African partners would say when they visit our millet processing plant in Burkina Faso," Zhao Hanqing, deputy general manager of Zhongdi Overseas Agricultural Development Co, told the Global Times.
Zhao said farmers are motivated to grow more after they realize that there is market demand, which is increased through industrialization.
"Africa has a lot of idle land and abundant agricultural labor, but farmers are reluctant to expand planting. They ask, what happens if you grow more than you can eat or sell? The difficulty was that no one further processed or commercialized the crops, and that's why we set up the processing factory," said Zhao.
Processed food, with more added value, can be shipped longer distances, which can promote the development of cultivation in reverse, staffers at Chinese agricultural firms that have set up food processing plants in Africa told the Global Times.
"It is relatively difficult for agriculture to develop and modernize rapidly in Africa if primary agricultural products are not processed to add value," said a representative of a Chinese firm that built a modern agro-industrial park in Abuja, Nigeria. There are oil extraction, rice processing and cassava processing plants in the park.
Chinese coffee importers are also seeking chances to build agro-industrial parks in Africa to promote coffee exports while providing African coffee products with more added value.
"We are planning to organize a business tour to Africa with several other coffee importers to explore if we can set up agro-industrial parks for coffee bean processing," a Changsha-based Chinese coffee importer surnamed Xiao said.
African agricultural development needs systemic support.
For example, China helps Africa build infrastructure projects and open up logistics links so that farmers can have markets to absorb their increased crops, Chinese agricultural experts who participated in the "Small Technology, Big Harvest" project in Africa told the Global Times.
With the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) being held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, unfounded "debt trap" allegations against China-Africa cooperation are circulating once again.
Having celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been widely welcomed by global communities, including those in Africa. It has achieved significant milestones, particularly in improving infrastructure, investment, and trade across African countries.
A total of 52 African countries and the African Union have signed memorandums of understanding with China to jointly advance the BRI, according to media reports. Experts said this is a vivid example of how African countries are voting with their feet when it comes to the initiative.
On the occasion of the FOCAC summit, foreign envoys, reporters, and experts have collectively rejected the "debt trap" rhetoric being propagated by Western media targeting the BRI and China-Africa cooperation. They have also praised the notable achievements in social and economic development in African countries, where the BRI has played an important role.
False allegations
Western criticisms of China-Africa cooperation and the BRI have intensified ahead of the FOCAC summit. This ill-intentioned attempt to undermine China-Africa ties has met with strong opposition from Chinese experts, as well as African representatives participating in the forum.
In a recent interview with the Global Times, Tanzania Ambassador to China Khamis Mussa Omar said that Africa has been raising its voice on the need for broader reform when it comes to international development financing architecture. The BRI, which has injected new impetus in trade and investment cooperation, has extended a critical helping hand on this regard, he said.
These words reflect the stance of many Africans regarding the positive outcomes of the BRI.
Chinese experts said that allegations of the BRI causing a "debt trap" are groundless. They argued that the "debt trap" narrative is an attempt by some Western media outlets and politicians to undermine the positive outcomes of China's win-win cooperation with African countries.
"Some Western countries have frequently accused China-Africa cooperation of being a 'debt trap,' which reflects their doubts about the capabilities of African countries to manage their internal affairs independently. This, in turn, is an insult," Ma Hanzhi, assistant research fellow at Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.
In recent years, African countries have faced difficulties in accessing financing, which has hindered efforts to develop the continent. With investment and support from Chinese companies, many roads and houses have been constructed, and power stations and electricity networks have been established to address key issues such as electricity shortages that impede social and economic development in these countries, experts noted.
Instead of attributing all these positive outcomes to cooperation, many Western media outlets and politicians have concocted the "debt trap" theory, which is unjustified and lacks a factual basis, Ma said.
In an official response to the "debt trap" narrative, Shen Xiang, an official from China's Ministry of Commerce, stated at a recent press conference on August 20 that China has never been the main creditor behind African debt.
Data from the International Monetary Fund indicates that among Africa's external debt, commercial bonds and multilateral debt account for 66 percent of the total, while China-Africa bilateral debt constitutes only 11 percent.
"Some people are making unfounded claims about Africa's debt issue, and these criticisms lack a factual basis," Shen said.
Experts noted that a significant portion of Africa's debt consists of private debt, for which the US bears much of the responsibility. In recent years, some Western countries relaxed borrowing conditions, leading to a surge of capital inflows into Africa. However, with the recent increase in US interest rates, capital outflows have intensified Africa's debt challenges, Ma said.
In a previous interview, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar praised the BRI for helping to build roads, provide electricity, and create much-needed jobs for his country. Tuggar refuted the Western media narrative that the BRI has led to a "debt trap" in developing countries, calling the notion of China's attempt to influence Africa through the BRI "an insult" to African nations.
Real benefits
In stark contrast to the false propaganda and conditional aid offered by some Western countries, China has brought real changes to many African countries without imposing any political or economic conditions, as highlighted by solid evidence.
The latest data shows that the bilateral trade volume between China and Africa reached a historic $282.1 billion last year, making China Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years.
Speaking at a press conference for FOCAC on Tuesday, Lin Honghong, director general of the Department of International Relations of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that by the end of 2023, China's direct investment in Africa had exceeded $40 billion, making it one of the largest sources of foreign investment on the African continent.
Moreover, in the past three years, Chinese companies have created over 1.1 million local jobs in Africa.
"These figures clearly demonstrate that China-Africa economic and trade cooperation continues to maintain a strong development momentum," Lin noted.
Commenting on the achievements, Samuel Ayammah, a reporter from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, told the Global Times at the forum on Wednesday that the BRI benefits many African countries, including his home country Ghana.
"When you look at the projects under the BRI and the kind of collaboration between China and Africa, I'm sure it's good," Ayammah said, noting that the cooperation is based on mutual respect.
Rugare Mukanganga, a data and economic analyst at Development Reimagined, highlighted another important aspect of China-Africa cooperation, stating that through principles such as non-interference in domestic affairs, it presents a non-coercive model that empowers African countries to chart their own course.
"African countries collaborate with China due to the significant benefits it has brought to the social and economic development of the continent." Ma said.
He emphasized that, more importantly, China-Africa cooperation is rooted in mutual respect and interests, without imposing any additional conditions as some Western countries do, reflecting the choices and decisions of the African people and their governments.
As the BRI has entered a new stage of high-quality development, China will further advance its reforms and opening-up, aiming to build a more open global economy. Experts said that in this context, China-Africa cooperation is facing new opportunities.
Cranes sway their giant arms, railway tracks crisscross, containers are stacked up... walking in the Guoyuan port in Southwest China’s Chongqing, one can feel the strong pulse of the mountainous city’s development. And for foreign journalists, seeing the bustling activities up close brings fresh understanding of China’s economic story.
During several field trips organized by the All-China Journalists Association, nearly 100 heads of journalists’ organizations and media representatives from 50 countries and regions witnessed Chongqing’s thriving industries, after visiting local logistics hubs, tourist attractions and intelligent automotive manufacturing factories.
As some Western media outlets step up their smearing campaign targeting China, some foreigners’ perception of China has been clouded, though they have never been to China.
However, hearing about something 100 times is not the same as seeing it once. The mountainous city blends traditional culture and modern development, showing the vitality and charm of China in the midst of incessant reform and opening-up. For foreign journalists, a visit to Chongqing city is not merely an assignment, but also an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of China’s diversity and Chinese modernization.
A number of journalists were struck by the stunning natural beauty as they saw three massive natural stone bridges in the Fairy Mountain in Wulong district. Marveling at the breathtaking karst landscape there, the strong connection between local residents and the nature also amazed them.
When they were impressed by local government’s efforts to promote tourism and protect ecologic diversity, they can personally witness how China upholds the principle that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and strives to maintain harmony between humanity and nature in the country’s pursuit of modernization in the past many years.
When taking the bus to Guiyuan town in Wulong district, foreign journalists were attracted by signs erected on the mountain promoting rural vitalization efforts.
At first, they did not fully understand the meaning of the slogan. After they saw a small town deep in the mountains gradually embarking on the road to prosperity by taking advantage of local scenery to develop tourism, they got to know the true meaning of rural vitalization.
Visiting Guiyuan town, foreign journalists experienced tie-dyeing and tasting local tea. They saw local young people return home to start their own businesses, and farmers can also earn more money by making coffee and operating homestay industry.
As they sat in the local library, sipping coffee and enjoying the magnificent landscape, they truly appreciated China’s efforts and achievements in promoting comprehensive rural revitalization.
Meanwhile, the journalists felt the country’s efforts to develop green industry in China’s leading electric vehicle (EV) maker Seres Group’s super factory.
During a visit to the intelligent auto manufacturing factory, they couldn’t wait to get into the newest model of Seres vehicles for a test driving and turn on the engine to learn about China’s EV technology. While walking through the welding workshop, they observed that each assembly procedure was carried out smoothly and precisely, with minimal human involvement.
When they were told that a new car rolls off the assembly line every 30 seconds, they were amazed at the efficiency of the factory and deeply appreciated the development speed and modernization level of China’s manufacturing industry.
Enjoying the Two-River Cruise on the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, the journalists were impressed with an unforgettable experience when taking in Chongqing’s cityscape at night.
Looking from the cruise ship to the shore, they saw the brightly lit buildings and the traffic flow of the streets. At that moment, they appreciated the actual economic vitality of the city.
Through the Chongqing trip, the foreign journalists deeply experienced the diversity and inclusiveness of China. They hailed the development model of the city - increasingly driven by green development and new quality productive forces.
Chinese modernization aims to promote green and low-carbon ways of production and life by adjusting and improving the structure of the industrial, energy, and transportation sectors, pursuing high-quality development built on a healthy, sustainable nature.
Moreover, China is working with other countries to foster an international environment that is conducive to development and creating new drivers for global growth.
If foreign journalists, or anyone from around the world, want to truly understand China, the best way is to experience it firsthand. As the proverb says, seeing is believing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Kenyan President William Ruto, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
