NAIROBI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- With the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges unfolding in 2026, China and Africa have ushered in a new chapter in civilizational dialogue, shaping shared development and future.
CIVILIZATIONAL EXCHANGES SHAPE SHARED FUTURE
The year will witness a series of cultural activities under the theme "Consolidate All-Weather Friendship, Pursue Shared Dream of Modernization," aimed at deepening mutual understanding, strengthening emotional and practical bonds, and solidifying public support for China-Africa friendship.
In recent years, academic and think-tank collaborations between China and Africa have flourished, contributing to practical development.
"The world is changing. Countries are becoming independent and are finding their way to develop. All countries need cooperation with others, but we need to have our own path. There should not be clashes of civilizations. We should learn from each other, talk to each other, and share," said Bernard Shamlaye, former minister of social development and culture of Seychelles.
In November 2025, the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Conference, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, brought together leaders and experts to discuss partnership and cooperation.
Allawi Ssemanda, executive director of the Development Watch Center Uganda, noted that the fleet of Zheng He, a renowned navigator of China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), visited Africa for trade and friendly people-to-people exchanges, highlighting that China-Africa relations have always been built on reciprocity and cooperation.
More than 600 years ago, Zheng led his fleet on seven epic voyages across the seas, reaching as far as Africa's eastern coast and the shores of the Red Sea. These journeys forged a magnificent legacy of trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchanges between Chinese and African civilizations, and indeed among world civilizations.
Ssemanda added that while reflecting on history is important, it is also vital to look ahead and explore new opportunities to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
Jean-Francois Ferrari, Seychelles's former designated minister and minister for fisheries and the blue economy, kept a scroll map tracing Zheng's maritime routes in his office. Ancient East African place names on the map, such as Mombasa and Malindi, correspond to records in a history book on the Ming Dynasty, illustrating enduring cultural links forged along the Maritime Silk Road.
"We want to make the world a better place for everyone. And what is better to unite the people than history, than culture?" Ferrari said. "As you (China) have a very ancient civilization, you have a lot to teach us. Let us not divide the world based on nationalities or origins. Let us use all those differences to unite us and make the world stronger."
ENDURING FRIENDSHIP ACROSS CONTINENTS
Alain Butler-Payette, former secretary of state in the Office of the President of Seychelles, said, "What China advocates is 'unity in diversity' -- that is the key." "Despite its rich culture and long history, China doesn't impose its culture on anyone, but loves to project its culture, and that contributes to understanding between nations."
Just across the sea from Seychelles, even earlier traces of Sino-African civilizational exchange have been discovered in Kenya and Tanzania.
Research conducted by the Changsha Tongguan Kiln Museum in central China's Hunan Province shows that glazed ceramic shards from Changsha kilns dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) were unearthed along the coasts of both countries, centuries before Zheng's voyages.
At the National Museum of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, Chinese porcelain fragments and nautical records are on display. Shomari Rajabu Shomari, the museum's historical curator, noted that Zheng's fleet brought silk, porcelain, and tea, while promoting cultural exchanges between China and Africa.
"We have those ceramics in the picture, and the images identify the symbols of the voyage that most of the visitors we receive from China come to see," Shomari said.
Over 600 years ago, Chinese fleets also arrived in Kilwa Kisiwani, a once-thriving Tanzanian port along the Indian Ocean trade route, and witnessed a bustling hub crowded with merchant ships laden with gold, spices, and porcelain.
Today, the ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani have been recognized as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Just across the water, the Chinese-built Kilwa Fishing Harbor, dubbed a "port of the future," is rising, linking the past with the future.
"Six hundred years ago, the Chinese came in peace to trade. Now, six hundred years later, they are helping us build a port that leads to prosperity," Shomari added.
Shomari said that exchanges between China and Africa were built on equality and mutual respect, fundamentally different from hegemonic patterns of European maritime expansion.
MUTUAL LEARNING SPURS SHARED DEVELOPMENT
In 2017, China's Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau partnered with the National Museum of Kenya to launch a Sino-Kenyan Paleolithic joint archaeological project, exploring human origins from a Global South perspective. At the end of 2024, the book From Henan to East Africa: China-Kenya Joint Archaeological Project -- A Study on Stone Artifacts from Lake Bogoria Paleolithic Site was published, marking a milestone in the collaboration.
Mary Gikungu, curator of the National Museum of Kenya, praised the project, saying that the exchange of techniques and expertise revitalized Africa's prehistoric heritage and broadened global understanding of human origins.
Zhao Qingpo, associate researcher at China's Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, noted that the Sino-Kenyan project has helped shift the paradigm of global human origins research from a "Western-centered" model to a multi-source, multi-point approach based on joint exploration.
During the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September 2024, China proposed 10 partnership actions for China-Africa cooperation, placing mutual learning among civilizations at the top of the agenda.
Recent collaborations, ranging from the joint compilation of the Flora of Kenya by Chinese and Kenyan scholars to partnerships in cutting-edge fields such as aerospace, have expanded Africa's scientific and technological capacity. Meanwhile, academic exchanges have also driven breakthroughs in infrastructure, renewable energy, electronic information, and other key technological industries, continuously expanding the scope of China-Africa exchanges.
On June 10, 2025, the first International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations was celebrated worldwide. Zainab Baugala, director-general of the United Nations Office at Nairobi, emphasized that dialogue is the path to peace.
Humphrey Moshi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, said that each culture has unique value and deserves mutual respect and learning, noting that China's vision aligns with international consensus on pluralism, coexistence, and inclusive development. ■
