International Desk: The World Mayors Dialogue 2026 was held in Beijing from June 2 to 3 under the auspices of the Information Office of China’s State Council. More than 30 mayors and municipal representatives from six African countries, including Morocco, Seychelles, Tunisia and Senegal, participated in the event.

Marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, the dialogue was held under the theme “Strengthening Civilizational Exchanges and Mutual Learning: China–Africa Traditional Friendship.” Participants exchanged views on expanding people-to-people contacts and enhancing cooperation between Chinese and African cities.

Speaking at the event, Mohammad Fawzi Alimon, Mauritius’ Junior Minister for Regional Governments, said his country enjoys extensive exchanges and cooperation with China across a wide range of sectors. He noted that Mauritius is keen to learn more from China’s development experience, particularly in the field of infrastructure management and urban development.

Representatives from African countries expressed hope that cities across China and Africa would make full use of the opportunities offered by the Year of Cultural Exchange to deepen mutual learning among civilizations. They emphasized the importance of strengthening youth exchanges and sharing urban governance experiences to foster closer cooperation at the municipal level.

Participants said such efforts would contribute to the shared goal of modernization and further enhance exchanges and mutual understanding among the more than 2.8 billion people of China and Africa.

Source: Subarna, Alim and Shishir,
China Media Group (CMG)