On June 13, Minister Zhou Maoyi of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa attended a school shoes handover ceremony organized by the South African charity 1 Million School Shoes Campaign in Welkom, Free State Province. The event benefited 9 primary and secondary schools in the province and was attended by more than 400 participants, including local government officials, tribal chiefs, teachers and student representatives.

In his remarks, Minister Zhou noted that China and South Africa enjoy a longstanding friendship, with close people-to-people exchanges and cooperation at the local level. He highlighted the deep ties between provinces and cities of China and the Free State. Minister Zhou hoped the event would help improve the students’ learning and living conditions and support their growth and development. He encouraged the students to become ambassadors of China–South Africa friendship in the future and contribute to greater mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.

Participants and representatives of the 1 Million School Shoes Campaign thanked China for its support for educational and charitable initiatives in South Africa. They expressed their willingness to make further contributions to friendship between South Africa and China.