Botswana is looking to transform its strategic partnership with China into practical cooperation that supports economic diversification, said International Relations Minister Phenyo Butale as President Duma Gideon Boko makes his state visit to China.
China and Botswana established diplomatic relations in 1975 and elevated ties to a strategic partnership at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Beijing. Boko is visiting China from October 12 to 17, his first trip to the country since taking office.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Butale emphasized that President Boko's visit marks a pivotal moment to translate diplomatic ties into concrete growth.
"We see this as an opportunity to now come up with practical steps of how to reimagine and reinvigorate the excellent relations that have always existed between us and China," Butale said.
"This is now an opportunity for the president to articulate the vision of the new government and to also share with our Chinese partners what we intend to do with our economic transformation and how they can assist us, because China has a very impressive journey that they have traveled, and we believe that we can learn and that can also enhance our development trajectory. This is also an opportunity for us also to fine-tune priority sectors of cooperation," said Butale.
Highlighting these economic ambitions is a long-standing partnership. China has sent medical teams to Botswana, offered university scholarships and supported agricultural exchanges. Chinese companies have also undertaken road and railway projects, alongside urban construction and telecommunications work.
The two countries are now looking to broaden cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative to renewable energy, smart agriculture and digital governance. Better regional transport links could also give landlocked Botswana improved access to seaports as it seeks to diversify its economy.
Botswana seeks closer China cooperation to diversify economy
Diplomats, scholars and young content creators gathered in Beijing on Monday for the "No. 7A Salon," a special briefing marking the first anniversary of the Global Governance Initiative proposed by China, to explore a path toward a China-Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) community with a shared future.
The event was hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association, whose organizers see young digital storytellers as a vital bridge for deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the region.
Addressing the salon, China's special representative for Latin American affairs Qiu Xiaoqi highlighted the achievements of China-LAC cooperation, saying the two sides have acted in growing concert on the global stage, from international institutions to shared positions against coercive practices.
"Over the past year or so, China and Latin American and Caribbean countries have actively advanced the building of the China-LAC community with a shared future through five major programs focusing on unity, development, civilization, peace and people-to-people bonds, and have made joint contributions to a more just and equitable global governance system. The two sides have worked closely together under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, BRICS, APEC and the China-CELAC Forum. They speak with one voice and make concerted efforts on global issues including multilateral trade, climate change and food and energy security, and jointly oppose unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonic practices," said Qiu.
Chinese officials attending the meeting reaffirmed Beijing's principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of LAC countries, saying China's modernization experience offers a useful reference for countries in the region as they explore their own development paths. On artificial intelligence (AI), the officials voiced readiness for cooperation with the region, while stressing that the technology must remain under human control.
Public diplomacy association hosts salon on China-LAC shared future
