BUJUMBURA, February 8th (ABP) – The Chinese embassy to Burundi proceeded on Thursday, February 1, 2024, to the presentation of certificates and awards to the winners of the 4th edition of the “Me and China” writing competition. Those awarding ceremonies have been coupled with the celebration of the Chinese Spring Festival or Chinese New Year.
Mrs. Zhao Jiangping, Chinese Ambassador to Burundi noted that after the 4 years of holding such a competition, its meaning has deepened considerably thanks to the enthusiastic participation and strong support of friends from all walks of life. What is encouraging in the organization of this competition is the participation of young people, said Mrs. Zhao. “I was so touched when reading the articles written by young students, doctors, farmers who qualify as beneficiaries of Sino-Burundian cooperation and are determined to develop friendly relations between the two peoples. We are convinced that the seeds of Sino-Burundian cooperation are sown around young people,” she insisted.
This competition is jointly supported by the Confucius Institute of the University of Burundi, the Association of Chinese Enterprises in Burundi and the Association of Chinese Nationals in Burundi. For her, this competition strengthens cooperation and mutual understanding between China and Burundi.
Mrs. Zhao also announced that this awarding ceremony took place in a particular context, 10 days before the celebration of the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, a most important Day in Chinese culture. “The Spring Festival is a time of harvest of the year, a time of hope for the New Year and a time of joy of family reunion,” Mrs. Zhao said, before inviting the friends of China to celebrate it in advance with them right now.
The Chinese ambassador to Burundi was keen to review the year 2023, which marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of cooperative relations between Burundi and China. According to her, the year was characterized by an accelerated resumption of personnel exchanges and high-level cooperation in several areas. She cited the high-level meeting between Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye and Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China. During the said year, 350 Burundians went to China for university studies, seminars, professional training, and on the other side, Chinese public health emissaries made the trip to Burundi, she reported among others.
She noted that personnel exchanges constitute a step forward in cooperation in the fields of public security, social affairs, agriculture and trade.
The Director General in charge of bilateral relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ernest Niyokindi, indicated that this awarding ceremony is very important for the strengthening of Sino-Burundian friendship and cooperation through writing. He noted that these articles constitute a factor marking the indelible links between China and Burundi. They will immortalize the excellent relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and will allow us to better know or understand the scope of Sino-African friendship in general and Sino-Burundian friendship in particular in all areas. “I hope that the candidates have imbued themselves with the intrinsic values of the Chinese and the leaps forward that China has achieved in such a short time. The participants understood that China is an essential, reliable and attentive player for the development of our country,” he insisted.
Recalling that this event takes place after the visit to China of the President of the Republic in July 2023, where he spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Mr. Niyokindi stated that this high-level meeting testifies to the quality of good relations between the two countries. The director general in charge of bilateral relations also noted that, since 2020, China has established the platform for win-win cooperation between it and African countries through the China-Africa Cooperation Forum.
Mr. Niyokindi further indicated that “the government welcomes Xi Jinping’s initiative for global development linked to cooperation, China is committed to building a shared future.” The government of Burundi also appreciates with satisfaction that through culture, the Chinese government wants to strengthen cooperation in the field of culture and art.
Added to this is the multifaceted success in several areas that the Chinese government continues to grant for the happiness of Burundians, according to Mr. Niyokindi. He took the opportunity to ask the Chinese government to continue its cultural support through writing, dance, art and music.
A total of 6 winners obtained certificates and awards out of around 50 participants. The first winner received a projector, two 2nd winners received mobile phones and three 3rd award winners received loud bluetooth speakers. The 6 award winners include a journalist of Burundi News Agency (ABP) by the name of Willyfrid Vyamungu.
On the other hand, awards were granted for the new chapter event for Africa-China friendship in the new era, a writing and short video competition organized by the international liaison department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Thirty nationalities participated in this competition. Three Burundians were awarded: 1 for the best short video award, 2 for the 3rd award. While 9 other participants received the participation award.