A Chinese teacher from Confucius Institute of Dodoma University teaches a local man to write Chinese calligraphy during an exhibition to commemorate the Chinese New Year in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Feb. 9, 2018. (Xinhua)
She said that the Chinese language has become an effective means of fostering a healthy friendship between Kenyans and Chinese nationals living in the country.
The Confucius Institute at one of Kenya's oldest universities has enrolled over 5,000 students, with its activities reaching about 10,000 locals, and it is planning to introduce Chinese language classes on satellite campuses, she added.
Franklin Asira, chairman of the Sino-African Cultural Exchange Association that was launched in Nairobi in late March, said that people-to-people interactions have become the defining feature of China-Africa cooperation.
In Uganda, the China-Africa Friendship Association was launched in the capital Kampala five years ago, as China has left a strong footprint in Uganda through trade and infrastructure development and bilateral cultural exchanges have become more frequent.
Chinese firms like StarTimes have rallied behind this cross-cultural exchange by supporting the production of a Kung Fu movie for local audiences in Uganda.
Simon Ivan Kakembo, an employee of Hisense Uganda, said that his Chinese colleagues have fallen in love with local culture and often attend weddings of their Ugandan co-workers and friends.
Early this year, Uganda's oldest and most prestigious Makerere University announced that it would start offering a bachelor's degree in Chinese and Asian studies.
BROADENING FRONTIERS
China-Africa friendship and exchanges have moved beyond traditional areas like trade, infrastructure development and skills transfer to sports, tourism, medicine, technical management and scientific research.
African countries like Kenya has intensified its efforts to attract Chinese tourists through digital marketing and recruitment of staff who are fluent in Mandarin at major attractions, like wildlife sanctuaries.
Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Najib Balala told Xinhua that the government is targeting 100,000 Chinese tourists in the next one or two years, up from 69,000 people who visited the country in 2017.
Chinese and Kenyan athletes have been on the frontline to promote friendship through joint training.
Zhang Xinyan, a Chinese female middle-distance runner from Gansu province, and her five colleagues from Yunnan province in late April joined their Kenyan counterparts for a month-long training at the "home of champions" located in Eldoret town.
Chinese artists hosted an exhibition in Nairobi University in April to present their charming paintings and drawings. Kiprop Lagat, director of culture in Kenya's ministry of sports, culture and the arts, said all genres of art, including music, dance, painting and carvings, have cemented bonds of friendship between the Chinese and African peoples.
Chinese doctors surely have set a precedent in promoting friendship with African people through the provision of free medical services in the continent's remote areas that were heavily affected by infectious diseases.
The latest development could be seen at the China-Congo Friendship Hospital located in the mineral-rich Republic of Congo, where local people suffering from cataracts regained their eyesight after successful operations by Chinese surgeons.
"I want to express my thanks to the Chinese doctors and they are truly professional," said 65-year-old Balossa Yvonne, whose eyesight recovered after the surgery.
Zhang Weipeng, an optician at the China-funded hospital, said it is aiming to offer a new lease on life to local cataract patients.
The Sino-African Joint Research Center, based at Jomo Kenyatta (SAJOREC) University of Agriculture and Technology outside the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, shows thriving ties between China and its African partners.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences has equipped SAJOREC to enhance its capacity to implement joint research projects. Since its establishment in 2013, the center has launched 45 joint research programs focusing on biodiversity, pathogenic microorganism detection, remote sensing, crop cultivation, and land and water resource management.
It also has helped train about 160 scientists and senior technicians from 13 African countries.
In Kenya, the operation of the the Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) commuter service, which was launched on May 31 last year along the 480 km China-funded modern railway linking Nairobi to the port city of Mombasa, is also continuing to boost the friendly cooperation and exchanges between China and Kenya.
Felix Asuma, a 27-year-old workshop supervisor at the SGR, felt honored to be among young Kenyans whose expertise has been harnessed to operate the SGR train service since its launch.
"My experience since I joined the SGR commuter service last year has been good. It is built on advanced Chinese technology that I am familiar with and having been mentored by Chinese engineers, I am convinced I have gained enough skills to handle its operation and maintenance," Asuma told Xinhua on Friday.
Harrison Kimani, who joined the SGR in February 2017 as an assistant manager in charge of passenger service, said that working alongside his Chinese colleagues has been professionally rewarding.
Kennedy Chemeitoi, a general affairs clerk at the SGR, said he has learned a lot since he joined the company.
"My Chinese mentor has taught me a lot," he said. "The Chinese are very responsible. They want to make sure you have mastered the expertise."
