BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulatory letter to the opening ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

In his letter, Xi said that organizing the year of people-to-people exchanges on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of launching diplomatic relations between China and Africa is an important consensus reached by leaders from both sides, and marks a significant step to further cement public support for China-Africa friendship at a new historical starting point.

Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations constitute an inexhaustible driving force for the progress of human civilization as well as world peace and development, Xi said, noting that the two great civilizations of China and Africa have been enriching each other for thousands of years, serving as the historical and intellectual source of China-Africa friendship.

He urged both sides to seize the year as an opportunity to carry forward traditional friendship, strengthen mutual learning among civilizations, expand people-to-people exchanges, especially among the youth, deepen exchanges of experience in governance and jointly advance modernization.

Through these efforts, Xi said, the two sides can promote closer bonds among the more than 2.8 billion people of China and Africa, pooling their hearts, minds and strengths, and make new contributions to Global South solidarity in addressing global challenges, promoting common values of humanity, and building a community with a shared future for humanity.