Guests from 8 countries including Namibia, Cape Verde and Nigeria held talks with representatives from relevant departments and enterprises in Jiangsu Province, focusing on sister-city ties, trade, investment, education, healthcare and other topics.

Yang Jing, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu Provincial Government, said cities in the province have already entered into friendship city ties with 20 counterparts in Africa. Nantong, the host city of the conference, has established friendship city relationship with five African cities.

"We value the friendship and cooperation with African countries. The growing exchange and cooperation in trade, investment and education bring the hearts and minds of the people on both sides closer," said Pan Jianhua, vice mayor of Nantong, in his speech.

Jiangsu has successfully introduced a large number of projects in Africa which benefit the Chinese and African people. As a flagship project between China and Africa, the Jiangsu-built Eastern Industrial Zone in Ethiopia is home to 126 enterprises and the agreed investment totals over $1 billion with nearly 18,000 jobs created.

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