Duma Gideon Boko, President of Botswana and President of the UDC, Meets with Liu Haixing

Beijing, October 14th—Duma Gideon Boko, President of Botswana and President of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), who is visiting China, visited the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC) and met with Liu Haixing, Minister of the IDCPC.

Boko said he was pleased to visit the IDCPC. He said, under the leadership of the CPC, China has progressed from its founding to achieving moderate prosperity in all respects and is now advancing toward the Second Centenary Goal. In particular, China’s historic achievements in the fight against poverty offer development strategies and successful experience for developing countries, including Botswana, to learn from. Botswana is grateful to the Chinese government and the CPC for the valuable support and assistance to Botswana and the African continent as a whole. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, infrastructure across the African continent has improved significantly, contributing to higher living standards for its people. In a world marked by turbulence and geopolitical conflicts, China, with its great civilization, has consistently advocated harmony among all nations and championed peace. The world expects China to offer new direction for future development. The government of Botswana and the UDC will remain firmly committed to developing friendly relations and cooperation with China. Botswana hoped to further learn from the CPC’s experience in state governance and administration to enable Botswana to achieve leapfrog development, and improve its people’s living standards.

Liu welcomed Boko’s visit to the IDCPC. He noted that General Secretary Xi Jinping held formal talks with President Boko yesterday, elevating China-Botswana relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership and charting a new blueprint for the development of bilateral ties. General Secretary Xi specifically emphasized that the two ruling parties should strengthen cooperation, deepen exchanges of experience in state governance and administration, and promote mutual understanding between respective visions and philosophies. The CPC stands ready to work with the UDC to implement the important common understandings reached by General Secretary Xi and President Boko, as well as the joint statement issued by the two countries; strengthen high-level exchanges between the two Parties; and continuously enhance mutual political trust. The CPC is willing to deepen exchanges of experience in state governance and administration with the UDC, including sharing experience and practices in poverty alleviation, ecological conservation, and exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, so as to advance reform, development and national revitalization in both countries. The CPC also stands ready to enrich the substance of inter-party exchanges and make full use of the “political party+” cooperation platform to contribute to the sound and steady development of China-Botswana and China-Africa relations. Liu also briefed the guests on the CPC’s development over the past 105 years since its founding and the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.

Moeti Caesar Mohwasa, Minister for State President, Defence and Security of Botswana, Phenyo Butale, Secretary General of the Alliance for Progressives and Minister of International Relations of Botswana, Lekoko S. Kenosi, Ambassador of Botswana to China, and others were present.