On October 1, 2021, Chinese Ambassador to Togo Chao Weidong gave an exclusive interview to Togo national TELEVISION and answered questions on China's development achievements, China-Togo relations and practical cooperation in various fields.

Ambassador Chao said that 2021 is a year of special significance for China. We celebrated the centennial birthday of the Communist Party of China. We have completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects on Chinese soil and are making progress towards the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. Over the past 100 years, the CPC has united and led the Chinese people in all their struggles, sacrifices, and creations, which can be summed up in one theme: realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. China has lifted nearly 100 million rural people out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total. As the world's second largest economy, China has contributed over 30% to global growth for many years in a row and become an important engine for global economic recovery. On this new journey, the CPC will adhere to a people-centered development philosophy and promote common prosperity through high-quality development.

Ambassador Chao stressed that the CPC is a party that strives for the happiness of the Chinese people and the progress of mankind. "We will promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity." This is a solemn declaration written into the CONSTITUTION of the COMMUNIST Party of China and a solemn promise made to the people of the world. In the face of COVID-19, a common challenge to mankind, China has always upheld the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and taken concrete actions to fulfill its commitment to make Vaccines a global public good. President Xi Jinping recently announced that China will donate another 100 million doses of vaccines to developing countries within this year, making a new contribution to ensuring the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries.

Ambassador Chao said that 2021 is also an important year for china-Trinidad and Tobago friendship. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the leaders of the two countries, high-level exchanges between China and The Dominican Republic continue to grow, political mutual trust continues to grow and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results. Since the beginning of this year, there have been many highlights in the development of bilateral relations. First, vaccine cooperation opened a new chapter of solidarity in the fight against COVID-19. This year, the Chinese government provided Togo with two batches of Sinovsk vaccines totaling 400,000 doses in a short period of time, giving strong support to efforts to build a "Great Wall of immunization". This "timely rain" of vaccine is not only a continuation of the solidarity between China and Trinidad and Tobago in the fight against COVID-19, but also a vivid interpretation of our traditional friendship. Second, the economic and trade achievements show a new prospect of bilateral cooperation. China is Togo's largest trading partner. In the first half of this year, two-way trade has bucked the trend and Togo's export to China has increased by 234%. The successful convening of the second meeting of the China-Trinidad and Tobago Joint Economic and Trade Committee not long ago has charted the course for further tapping the potential of bilateral cooperation in the field of economy, trade and investment. Third, livelihood projects have become new highlights of China-Trinidad friendship. Amity between the people holds the key to state-to-state relations. This year, the Chinese Embassy in Togo has held a series of activities on the people's livelihood to promote the benefits of china-Togo friendship and cooperation at the grassroots level and deliver tangible benefits to the local people. Our cooperation in social and livelihood areas is becoming an important tradition, reflecting our shared vision of people-centered development.

Ambassador Chao stressed that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Tobago. We will review the past and look into the future. Over the past 50 years, Our two countries have upheld the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit and made significant progress in our relations. In the post-covid-19 era, China is ready to work with other countries to synergize the eight major initiatives for China-Africa cooperation with Togo's new development strategy, support other countries in realizing independent and sustainable development, and promote china-Togo friendly cooperation across the board to bring more benefits to the two countries and peoples.

On October 1, Togo News, the official newspaper of Togo, published a signed article by Ambassador Chao Weidong entitled "Hand in Hand to Lift China-Togo Cooperation to a New Level".