Africa pins hopes on China-Africa think tanks to accelerate economic growth

The 13th Meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum opened in Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam Friday, with participants describing it as a springboard for the continent's economic and industrialization agenda.

James Mdoe, deputy permanent secretary in the Tanzanian Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, said the forum has fostered a positive atmosphere in academia and society for stronger Africa-China relations.

Opening the one-day forum, Mdoe said China and Africa must figure out ways to deepen cooperation and seek to demonstrate the instrumental role that education can play in building strong societies.

Nelson Boniface, deputy vice chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam, called for increased cooperation between China and Tanzania on academic and research projects in various fields, including science, education, humanities and social sciences, engineering, and technology, to meet the two countries' demands.

Chen Mingjian, Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, said China and Africa have a shared desire to explore development paths independently and work together to build a high-quality China-Africa community with a shared future.