Commissioned by the Ministry of Commerce and organized by the Department of Foreign Languages of China Foreign Affairs University, the opening ceremony of the 'Seminar on Diplomatic Protocol and Etiquette for the Republic of the Congo' was held at CFAU on July 9, 2026, with 35 diplomatic, government and military officials from the Republic of the Congo coming to China for the program. Wang Shiting, Secretary of the CPC Committee of CFAU, attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. Principal members of the Department of Foreign Languages, representatives of researchers from the Research Center for a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity, and all members of the seminar management team attended the ceremony, which was chaired by Professor Wang Xiaoxia, Dean of the Department of Foreign Languages.

In his remarks, Secretary Wang first welcomed the Congolese participants and shared the deep bonds he forged with African countries over his diplomatic career. He noted that this seminar is held at the time of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries; over the seventy years, China and Africa have stood together through storms, and China-Africa friendship has grown ever stronger with time.

Secretary Wang pointed out that in today's world of diverse civilizations, every gesture of a diplomat represents the image of the country and conveys the warmth of engagement. Through their studies, the participants will not only master internationally accepted protocol and etiquette norms but also understand the humility, inclusiveness and wisdom behind China's culture of 'li' (propriety).

Secretary Wang expressed his expectations for the mission shouldered by the participants in deepening China-Congo and China-Africa friendly cooperation. He emphasized that by coming to China, the participants are in fact building a bridge that brings the Chinese and African peoples closer, enables them to see each other more clearly, and deepens their mutual affection. Every note taken in class, every photo taken during field visits, and every moment of warmth gained in exchanges with the Chinese people will become the most solid testimony of China-Congo friendship.

Secretary Wang noted that the more unilateralism and protectionism rise and geopolitical conflicts flare up, the more China and Africa need unity and cooperation. China and the Republic of the Congo are both developing countries, both yearning for peace, for development, and for a better life for their peoples. On global issues such as climate change, public health, the digital economy and poverty reduction, the voices of China and Africa should be louder and their actions stronger.

Subsequently, Ambassador FELICITE ROSELINE MABIKAS, head of the seminar delegation and Director-General of the General Department for Protocol, Chancery Affairs, and Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Congo, delivered remarks. Ambassador MABIKAS thanked the relevant departments of China and the Congo for building this platform for cooperation and exchange, pointing out that this seminar on diplomatic protocol and etiquette is an important measure under a series of practical activities held by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) through the 'China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges' in 2026. The participants will cherish this opportunity, study and conduct research earnestly, lay a solid foundation for the protocol work of the upcoming FOCAC ministerial conference to be held in the Republic of the Congo, and contribute to consolidating the all-weather China-Africa friendship.

After the opening ceremony, the participants held in-depth discussions with Counselor Zhan Xiaobo of the Research Center for a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity and researchers Miao Ji and Li Zhengyang on topics including China-Africa zero-tariff measures, China-Africa poverty reduction cooperation, and the China-Africa community with a shared future. The participants then visited the Research Center, gaining a deeper understanding of and greater identification with the vision of the China-Africa community with a shared future.

The seminar runs from July 8 to 27. In addition to lectures on diplomatic protocol rules, Chinese modernization, governance philosophy and the four global initiatives, and China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation, the participants will also visit Nanjing, Huai'an and Zhenjiang in Jiangsu Province.

Department of Foreign Languages

July 26, 2026