[Video/chinadaily.com.cn]

As the 2026 China-Africa Friendship Tour – Shandong Meets Africa Cultural Gala opened in Jinan, Shandong province, on Aug 4, Somalia's Ambassador to China, Hodan Abdi, shared her views on China-Africa people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

She said the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges provides a valuable platform for people from both sides to experience each other's cultures, engage in meaningful exchanges and deepen mutual understanding. She expressed hope that more young people from China and Africa would visit, study and learn from one another.

Abdi also welcomed China's zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties. She said this would create new opportunities for Somali and other African products to enter the Chinese market and further strengthen China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.

The event brought together 89 guests from 23 African countries, including Lesotho, Malawi, Somalia, Madagascar, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Angola and South Sudan. It also featured representatives from think tanks, business associations, enterprises and friendship organizations. Together, they got to experience Shandong firsthand and deepen China-Africa people-to-people exchanges.