Recently, at the invitation of the Bengo Provincial Government in Angola, Sun Licheng, Deputy Director of the Shandong Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee, led a delegation to visit Angola. On the morning of November 1, 2023 (local time in Angola), both parties held a symposium in Bengo Province and signed a letter of intent for cooperation to strengthen friendly relations between the two provinces. During the visit, the delegation also conducted visits and research at the China Aode Industrial Park.
On the morning of November 1, the delegation proceeded to Bengo Province, where Governor Maria Antónia Nelumba and officials at all levels of the provincial government warmly welcomed the visiting delegation at the provincial government office. Following the welcome, both sides held talks during which representatives from each province introduced and showcased their respective political, economic, cultural, educational conditions, as well as local customs and traditions.
During the symposium, Governor Maria Antónia Nelumba emphasized the cooperative development between Angola and China, highlighted the potential prospects, business environment, and investment cooperation pathways of Bengo Province, and expressed a strong desire to strengthen cooperation with Shandong Province. She hoped to enhance collaboration in key areas such as vocational education, manufacturing, and agricultural technology to promote economic development in Bengo Province.
In his address, Deputy Director Sun Licheng introduced the trade and investment cooperation between Shandong and Angola, stating that under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Shandong and Angola have carried out a series of fruitful collaborations in the economic and trade sectors. Notably, Shandong enterprise Aodeao Investment Co., Ltd.’s investment in Aode Industrial Park in Bengo Province has attracted over ten companies in industries such as ceramics, papermaking, and logistics. These enterprises have filled multiple industrial gaps in Angola, providing a total of more than 2,600 jobs, thereby promoting diversified economic development in Angola and increasing government revenue. In terms of community responsibilities like supporting education, road construction, and water supply, the industrial park has donated funds and materials worth over RMB 10 million, serving as a successful model of win-win cooperation between China and Africa.
Deputy Director Sun emphasized that this year marks the tenth anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal of the “true, sincere, and amicable” policy towards Africa and the correct view of righteousness and interests, as well as the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. The successful convening of the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum will surely open a new historical chapter in comprehensive cooperation between China and Angola. Additionally, this year also celebrates the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Angola. Shandong is willing to take this visit to Bengo Province as an opportunity to continuously strengthen exchanges and cooperation at the local government level, expand pragmatic economic and trade cooperation, promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and contribute to the steady development of relations between China and Angola.
After the meeting, both parties signed a letter of intent for cooperation between the two provinces, aiming to actively conduct friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation to jointly promote socio-economic development in both provinces.
On the afternoon of November 1, accompanied by Liu Wende, General Manager of Aode Industrial Park, the delegation visited the Aode Industrial Park located in Dande City, Bengo Province. First, General Manager Liu Wende extended a warm welcome on behalf of Mr. Yang Jijiang, Chairman of Aodeao Investment Co., Ltd., to the visiting delegation from the Shandong Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee.
During the visit, after listening to the report by General Manager Liu Wende about the development status of Aode Industrial Park in Angola, the delegation highly praised the achievements that the park has made so far. The delegates were given a comprehensive understanding of the park’s progress, its contributions to the local economy, and its role in fostering Sino-Angolan cooperation.
Deputy Director Sun Licheng expressed that Shandong Province has a comprehensive industrial system and hopes to use the cooperation with Aode Industrial Park as a foundation to promote the establishment of a regular communication mechanism between relevant departments in Shandong Province and the Dande Free Trade Zone Management Committee in Angola. This would strengthen cooperation in the field of industrial capacity. Shandong is willing to actively support and encourage capable and interested enterprises within the province to connect and negotiate with the Free Trade Zone and Aode Industrial Park, promoting the construction of industry chain, supply chain, and service chain in Angola, thereby accelerating Angola’s industrialization process.
This visit underscores the Shandong Provincial Party Committee and Government’s high importance placed on economic and trade cooperation with Africa, active participation in the high-quality co-construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and practical efforts to promote economic and trade cooperation and exchanges between Shandong and important African countries such as Angola.