Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong delivers a speech at the online award ceremony of the Chinese Ambassador Award in Beijing, Dec 7, 2016.  

Ambassador Chen spoke highly of bilateral relations and said that with the joint efforts of both sides, china-South Africa cooperation in basic education has made positive progress in teacher training, personnel exchange, Chinese language education and cooperative education.  Today, the two sides jointly hold this event to witness the important achievements of china-South Africa education cooperation. The Embassy is willing to build more platforms for bilateral cooperation in education and human resources development.  Ambassador Chen also introduced the significance and outcomes of the eighth Ministerial Conference of focAC, saying that China would like to take the successful convening of the forum as an opportunity to further deepen educational cooperation and cultural exchanges between China and South Africa, consolidate popular support for bilateral relations and bring the emotional bond between the two peoples closer and closer.  

Ambassador Chen extended warm congratulations to the 39 outstanding South African teachers and students who won the "Chinese Ambassador Award". He encouraged them to make persistent efforts and make continuous progress so as to become ambassadors of friendship and builders of a Community with a shared future between China and South Africa in the new era.  

Mozeka, South Africa's Minister of Basic Education, said that in recent years, china-South Africa cooperation in education has been deepened and deepened, which has not only promoted educational progress in South Africa, but also boosted economic and social development.  The "Chinese Ambassador Award" is another important measure taken by China to support basic education and talent training in basic disciplines in South China. South China is deeply grateful for this and will continue to strengthen people-to-people exchanges in education between South China and China.  The winning teacher, Mr. Tasefu, and the student representative, Mr. Nkosi, also expressed their appreciation for China's long-standing support for South Africa's education, saying that the award is a recognition of outstanding teachers and students in South Africa, and will greatly help poor students, and will inspire more South Africans to change their lives through hard work.  

The "Chinese Ambassador Award" was jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in South Africa and the South African Ministry of Basic Education. Nearly 100 people, including senior officials of the South African Ministry of Basic Education, award-winning teachers and student representatives, attended the award ceremony.