On 21st August 2018, Chinese Ambassador H.E. Dr. Zhao Yanbo held a farewell reception for the 2018 Chinese Government Scholarship beneficiaries and Botswana Defence Force (BDF) personnel at Chinese Embassy in Gaborone. Ms. Tebogo Bagopi, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Major General Gotsileene Morake, Deputy Commander of BDF, Ms. Botlhale Magegenene, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security and around 120 guests attended the reception.

Ambassador Zhao in his remarks extended his warm congratulations to the 41 students and 20 BDF trainees who have been nominated to study in Chinese universities and colleges this year. He pointed out that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Botswana have been conducting fruitful cooperation in education and personnel-training over the years. Nearly 600 Botswana students have been awarded the Chinese Government Scholarship and completed their study in China. Currently there are around 200 Botswana students including self-funded studying in China. China has become African students’ favorite destination to study abroad in recent years. He encouraged all the students and trainees to become the goodwill ambassadors who carry on China-Botswana friendship, promote bilateral exchanges, and contribute to Botswana’s social and economic development with the knowledge and skill learned in China.

Ambassador Zhao emphasized that China and Botswana are now faced with a historic opportunity to further strengthen friendship and cooperation as the upcoming 2018 Beijing Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is going to be held early September. H.E. President Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi will lead the Botswana delegation to attend the Summit and pay a state visit to China at the invitation of H.E. President Xi Jinping. China and Botswana look forward to uplifting China-Botswana friendly cooperative relations to a new height and will write hand in hand a new chapter for the bilateral relations, and bring more benefits to the two countries and peoples in this new era.

Ms. Tebogo Bagopi, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology expressed in her speech Botswana Government’s gratitude for the invaluable support from China to Botswana’s aspiration of achieving a knowledge-based economy and wish all the students do the best in their future endeavors.

Major General Gotsileene Morake, Deputy Commander of BDF sincerely thanked the Chinese government for ever-growing bilateral military relations between the two countries highlighted by annual training programs provided by China.

Ms. Natalie Tafa, Vice President of China-Botswana Alumni Association highly commended the cooperation in the field of education between the two countries, and congratulated the scholarship beneficiaries and advised them to study hard and make friends in China, and become the envoys of China-Botswana friendship.

Guests spoke highly of the friendship and cooperation between China and Botswana. The reception concluded in a friendly and joyful atmosphere and was covered by a number of local media.