PRAIA, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Relations between China and Cabo Verde have grown stronger over the past five decades and are now entering a new stage with broad prospects, Chinese Ambassador to Cabo Verde Zhang Yang has said.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Zhang said that although China and Cabo Verde are separated by vast oceans, the two countries have maintained a traditional friendship and supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cabo Verde. On April 25, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Cabo Verdean President Jose Maria Neves exchanged congratulatory messages to mark the occasion.
"China-Cabo Verde relations have stood the test of time," Zhang said, adding that the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership in 2024 opened a new chapter for future cooperation.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1976, bilateral cooperation has continued to expand in such fields as infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, water resources and cultural exchanges, he said.
Zhang cited the Palace of the Government in Praia, built with Chinese assistance in the 1990s, as an important landmark of bilateral cooperation.
The ambassador also highlighted the maternity building at Dr. Baptista de Sousa Hospital in Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente as a recent example of practical cooperation in the health sector. The project, he said, is an important China-Cabo Verde cooperation initiative under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and is expected to help improve maternal and child health services in the country.
As a small island developing state, Cabo Verde has important needs in areas such as infrastructure, information and communications, the blue economy, renewable energy and improving people's livelihoods, Zhang said.
China's cooperation with Cabo Verde, he said, is based on local needs and long-term development priorities, with a focus on practical, people-centered projects.
"China is ready to work with Cabo Verde to implement more 'small but beautiful' livelihood projects that meet the needs of the people and support the country's sustainable development," Zhang said.
He said that this year, China will provide training for Cabo Verdean professionals in the field of the blue economy. Chinese enterprises are encouraged to participate in infrastructure projects, including those related to energy storage and water resources, in Cabo Verde.
Over the years, China has sent medical teams, agricultural experts and engineering technicians to Cabo Verde, and organized nearly 200 training programs for Cabo Verdean participants, helping train thousands of professionals, Zhang said.
Looking ahead, he said, China and Cabo Verde will find new opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
China stands ready to work with Cabo Verde to advance cooperation in such areas as green development, the blue economy and social development, and to promote the signing of the China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development agreement, Zhang said.
Since May 1, China has begun implementing expanded zero-tariff treatment on imports from all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, creating new opportunities for African countries, including Cabo Verde, to expand exports to the Chinese market, he said.
"China will continue to support Cabo Verde, within its capacity, in exploring a path to modernization suited to its own national conditions," Zhang said.
Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Cabo Verde relations are expected to embrace an even more promising next 50 years, he said. Enditem
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