2026 China-Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum Opens in Wuhan, Hubei

On November 11, the 2026 China-Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum officially opened in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Opening ceremony of the forum | Photo courtesy of the Department of Science and Technology of Hubei Province

The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between China and African nations and is also the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Approximately 800 representatives gathered in Wuhan to advance China-Africa sci-tech innovation cooperation and shared modernization. Attendees included delegates from 40 African nations—including Cameroon, Egypt, Lesotho, Liberia, Morocco, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, South Africa, and Sudan—alongside representatives from countries such as Kazakhstan, Pakistan, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Serbia; representatives from 13 international organizations, including UNESCO; and officials and representatives from relevant Chinese ministries and commissions, science and technology departments in some provinces and cities, universities, research institutes, enterprises, and news media.

Themed "Working Together to Advance Modernization Through Innovation Cooperation," the forum featured a keynote plenary and focused on five major pillars: industry, education, culture and people-to-people exchange, digital and intelligent technologies, and people's well-being. The event hosted seven "Sci-Tech+" thematic sessions and an overseas promotion event titled "Green Innovation Navigator Exchange Activity," launched the "Action to Upgrade the China-Africa Science and Technology Partnership Program (2026–2030)," and released major reports, including the Compendium of Advanced and Applicable Technologies for Poverty Alleviation Through Science and Technology under the Belt and Road Initiative (Africa) and Typical AI Application Scenarios for African Countries.

Around 800 delegates from Africa, international organizations, and various regions gather in Wuhan | Photo courtesy of the Department of Science and Technology of Hubei Province

Under the theme "Working Together to Advance Modernization Through Innovation Cooperation," the forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the People's Government of Hubei Province, and organized by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the China Science and Technology Exchange Center, the Department of Science and Technology of Hubei Province, and the Wuhan Municipal People's Government.