Video Competition Promotes China-Africa People-to-People Connectivity

A short video competition was launched on August 28 for contestants to share their stories and experiences related to the increasingly diverse China-Africa relations at a time when the world confronts major challenges such as COVID-19.

The Second CHINAFRICA Short Video Competition, themed Working Hand in Hand for a Shared Future, is open to Africans and Chinese alike, with the aim of promoting China-Africa friendship and enhancing people-to-people understanding.

Compared with the inaugural competition last year, a micro videos category has been added so that amateurs with a smartphone can take part. Also, the competition this year will be held in three zones--China, Senegal and South Africa.

"It is fitting to hold a short video contest this year to tell the stories of exchanges between China and African countries and between Chinese and African people," Gao Anming, Vice President and Editor in Chief of China International Publishing Group (CIPG), an advisory institution of the competition, said in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

Gao said he hopes the contest could present an authentic account of China-Africa joint efforts to cope with COVID-19 through touching and heartwarming images and narratives. It is also his hope that participants will dig deeper into China-Africa cooperation and exchanges for more stories.

The vitality of China-Africa friendship lies in inheritance and innovation, said Lin Yi, Executive Vice President of the Chinese-African People’s Friendship Association. Through short videos, a popular media format, the China-Africa friendship story will be told, shared and known by more people, especially the younger generation, she said.

Lin hopes more young people can join the competition so that the China-Africa friendship can be renewed and passed on from generation to generation.

The video competition is being launched at a challenging time when the entire globe is affected by COVID-19, said Elisio Benedito Jamine, Senior Political, Peace and Security Officer of the AU Permanent Mission to China.

"This environment of uncertainty poses a great challenge to the creativity of the competitors to bring the unforgettable stories of China-Africa cooperation and closeness between people," he said.

The competition is an opportunity to encourage Africans who have visited China to share their video material and their own stories of how they see and perceive China, said Ayanda Holo, Director of International Media Relations of the Government Communication and Information System of South Africa.

Abdoulaye Salam Madior Fall, founder and CEO of Seneweb Group, Senegal, and organizer of the contest in the Senegal zone, pledged to ensure the best coordination of the contest through a good communication pipeline and the dedication of human resources.

People-to-people friendship has played a unique role in China and Africa's fight against the epidemic and has created a solid foundation for building a China-Africa community with a shared future, said Adri Senekal de Wet, Executive Editor of Business Report at Independent Media Group, South Africa.

By standing side by side, China and Africa will surely be able to step outside the darkest period in history and shape a bright future, she added.

Li Yafang, President of BEIJING REVIEW, said as China's only magazine featuring in-depth reports and analysis on China-Africa issues, ChinAfrica is committed to promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and Africa. She believes the competition will bring many extraordinary stories about China-Africa friendship and strengthen mutual understanding through interactive activities.

The competition is supported by CIPG and the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association. It is hosted by BEIJING REVIEW, and organized by ChinAfrica Magazine and Africa Bureau of BEIJING REVIEW.

To join the competition, please visit:

http://www.chinafrica.cn/Homepage/202008/t20200803_800216507.html