"Zhejiang's Global Outreach: A Rainbow Promise - Exchange Event on South Africa's Freedom Day Successfully Held in Hangzhou | Frontline of the Event"

Source | ZASC Zhejiang-Africa Service Center

On the afternoon of April 27th, the "Zhejiang Goes Global, Rainbow Covenant - South African Freedom Day Exchange Event", hosted by the Commerce Bureau of Qiantang District, Hangzhou and the Zhejiang-Africa Service Center, and co-organized by Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College of Science and Technology and WANBONDE Bergsburg Industrial Park, was successfully held in Hangzhou. The event attracted nearly a hundred participants, including relevant leaders from Hangzhou and Qiantang District, university principals, enterprise representatives, and South African students studying in Hangzhou. This event, in line with the theme of South African Freedom Day, aims to deepen economic and trade, educational, industrial park construction, and cultural exchanges between China and South Africa against the backdrop of the complex and volatile global trade situation.

Wang Yongfang, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Commerce Bureau of Hangzhou

Wang Yongfang, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Commerce Bureau of Hangzhou, said in his speech that holding an event on South African Freedom Day is not only a celebration of the past but also an expectation for the future. The concepts of equality, justice, and universal human rights symbolized by Freedom Day are even more valuable when the current global free trade system is in turmoil. Since the China Cooperation Center for Special Economic Zones of BRICS countries was established in Hangzhou, the Hangzhou government delegation visited South Africa in March, and substantial progress has been made in areas such as the Digital Trade Expo, cooperation in special economic zones, and industrial park construction. Hangzhou will continue to rely on the BRICS cooperation center as a hub to deepen cooperation with South Africa and other BRICS member states in investment, trade, technology, and the digital economy, jointly promote the construction of the "Invest in BRICS" brand, and promote multi - field cooperation and development between China and South Africa.

Sun Qingfeng, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Education Bureau of Hangzhou

Sun Qingfeng, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Education Bureau of Hangzhou, said that 31 years ago, South Africa's first universal suffrage election ended apartheid and opened a new chapter of democracy; 31 years later, South Africa has become China's largest trading partner in Africa, and the relationship between the two countries has been upgraded to an all - dimensional strategic partnership in the new era. In recent years, Hangzhou and South Africa have achieved fruitful results in the education field: Hangzhou Normal University has cooperated with the Eastern Cape Province to train talents, and the "China - South Africa 'Silk Road College'" of Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College of Science and Technology has trained more than ten thousand people in total. The official establishment of the China - South Africa Silk Road College under the "Belt and Road" initiative provides a new platform, mechanism, and resources for the demand docking between Chinese universities, enterprises, and African students. At present, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Ramaphosa, the two countries have entered a "golden era" and will jointly deepen exchanges in education, economy and trade, technology, and other fields in the future.

Li Jun, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Qiantang New Area and Member of the Party Group of the District Government

Li Jun, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Qiantang New Area and Member of the Party Group of the District Government, said that celebrating South African Freedom Day at this event is of great milestone significance and also an important opportunity to deepen the economic and trade, educational, and talent cooperation between the new area and South Africa. Looking back on the visit to Johannesburg and WANBONDE Bergsburg Industrial Park with the Hangzhou government delegation in March, he affirmed the achievements of the collaborative development between China and South Africa in high - end manufacturing, medical and health, and cross - border e - commerce. Qiantang New Area will continue to implement the "Belt and Road" initiative, give full play to the leading role of the China Cooperation Center for Special Economic Zones of BRICS countries, and work with South Africa to promote trade facilitation, technology transfer, and youth talent cultivation, creating a prosperous and mutually beneficial future.

Zhao Shouming, Chairman of WANBONDE Group

Zhao Shouming, Chairman of WANBONDE Group, emphasized that since 2015, in response to the "Belt and Road" initiative, WANBONDE Group has successively acquired TECMED and ELITE and has now invested in the construction of a 507 - hectare modern industrial park in the Bergsburg Special Economic Zone in South Africa, practicing the dual - linkage model of "Zhejiang R & D + South African Manufacturing". The group, together with Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College of Science and Technology, has launched the "China - Africa Science and Technology Talent Cultivation Project", which定向ly trains technical and management talents through training bases and incubation platforms to promote industrial upgrading. The China Cooperation Center for Special Economic Zones of BRICS countries has been established in Qiantang New Area, Hangzhou. The group looks forward to seizing this opportunity to deepen multi - field cooperation with Hangzhou and Qiantang New Area. In the year when South Africa hosts the G20 Summit, WANBONDE Group will uphold the spirit of openness and inclusiveness and actively promote practical cooperation to write a new chapter of friendship between China and South Africa.

Signing and Unveiling Mark a New Journey, and the Integration of Industry, University, and Research Adds Momentum

At the event site, Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College of Science and Technology, WANBONDE Group, and the Zhejiang - Africa Service Center signed a tripartite cooperation agreement. This is a practical promotion of the achievements of the African series of activities of the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo, jointly promoting vocational education cooperation and industrial resource docking between China and South Africa, and injecting new momentum of in - depth integration of the "education chain - industrial chain - talent chain" into China - South Africa economic and trade cooperation.

Subsequently, the "International Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Practice Base", jointly built by Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College of Science and Technology and the Zhejiang - Africa Service Center, was officially unveiled. The base will integrate the resources of universities, enterprises, and service platforms to provide a practice platform in cross - border e - commerce, technological innovation, and other fields for international students, and transport more international talents for the industrial upgrading of the two countries.

Surprising Interactions Add Color, and Cultural Blending Promotes Consensus

South African student representatives also shared their learning and practice experiences in China on topics such as cross - border e - commerce, online business, and e - commerce. While enjoying the food, the participating guests and students communicated with each other in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The event specially set up a "China - South Africa Friendship Lucky Draw" session, which pushed the on - site atmosphere to a climax. During the draw, the students interacted warmly with the audience, demonstrating the emotional bond between the people of the two countries.

At the end of the event, South African students pushed the on - site atmosphere to an emotional climax with a song and dance performance full of historical depth. More than a dozen students sang the classic South African song "Let us go home, Home is far" together. This song, born during the apartheid era, once carried the deep longing of South African ancestors for freedom and returning home. The profound harmony transcended time and space and intertwined with the prosperous picture of China - South Africa cooperation today, symbolizing the journey of the "Rainbow Nation" from struggle to integration.

"If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together." As Li Jun, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Qiantang New Area, said in his speech, cooperation and inclusiveness are the eternal answers to the challenges of the era. This event demonstrated the cooperation achievements in various forms, injecting confidence into Zhejiang enterprises to explore the South African market and contributing "Zhejiang" strength to building a high - level China - South Africa community with a shared future.

The South African Freedom Day Exchange Event is not only a dialogue on culture and economy and trade but also彰显s the firm belief of China and South Africa to jointly pursue modernization. From joint vocational education training to industrial co - construction, from resource sharing to innovation and win - win results, the "clasped hands" of China - South Africa cooperation are getting tighter, guiding both sides to stride forward on the new journey of modernization.

The International Service Center for Chinese Enterprises will also continue to assist the Zhejiang - Africa Service Center in building a bridge for China - Africa cooperation, uphold the concept of open - win, deepen platform empowerment, and promote the in - depth integration of policies, industries, and talent resources. In the future, China and South Africa will surely march forward side by side on the new journey of modernization, making the tree of cooperation grow deeply rooted and leafy, and enabling the development achievements to benefit millions of people, jointly writing a magnificent chapter in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

This article is from the WeChat public account "Hangzhou Qiantang Enterprise Going Global Service Base", published by Qiantang with authorization.