A workshop for the heads of the international departments from major African media was held in China from June 22 to July 11.

Twenty-eight people in leadership roles at media organizations from nine African countries, including Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Sudan, Nigeria and Uganda, attended the 20-day event. The workshop was led by the State Council Information Office of China and organized by the Training Center of China International Publishing Group.

During the workshop, the participants attended a forum discussing the topic of open development from the perspective of renowned African media professionals.

Njie Ebrima, an official from Gambia, said at the forum that China's economic achievements since its reform and opening up were impressive, and that China's path not only brought national development but also happiness to its people.

Raphael Bamidele Oni, a media professional from Nigeria, hailed the Belt and Road Initiative in his speech as China's model of open development. He said that the initiative would help to break through the bottleneck of world economic growth, eliminate unequal international trade, and share development outcomes across the world.

The workshop attendees also exchanged ideas on China's innovation and practices in the media sector, which they said provided a model for Africa to learn from. They also said that they look forward to regular activities like this one to make further improvement on news media expertise, increase mutual understanding between Chinese and African people, and tell stories about China and Africa in the new era.