On 3rd and 4th October 2016, H.E. Ambassador Xu Jinghu, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on African Affairs, attended the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Lesotho. During her visit, Ambassador Xu paid courtesy calls respectively on His Majesty King Letsie III, and the Right Honourable Prime Minister Dr. Pakalitha Mosisili and met with Honourable Tlohang Sekhamane, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
Ambassador Xu presented the Letter of Congratulations by H.E. President Xi Jinping to His Majesty King Letsie III and highly commended Lesotho's achievements since its independence. Ambassador Xu said, China and Lesotho were good friends of sincerity, good partners of mutual benefits, and good brothers sharing weal and woe; in recent years, the foundation of China-Lesotho mutual political trust had been further cemented and pragmatic cooperation in all fields had been continually promoted; the Chinese side attached great importance to developing relations with Lesotho and was ready to strive jointly in speeding up coordination and actively pushing forward the implementation of the follow-up actions of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, so that the Basotho people could benefit soon and more.
His Majesty King Letie III expressed sincere appreciation to H.E. President Xi Jinping for his Letter of Congratulations on Lesotho's 50th Anniversary of independence and to the Chinese Government for sending the Special Representative to attend the celebration of the independence. He commended that this move helped deepening and consolidating friendship, unity and cooperation between Lesotho and China. H.M. the King said, the Chinese side had been providing great support to Lesotho's social and economic development for long years. After the Johannesburg Summit, the Chinese side had taken quick action in implementing the follow-up actions of the Summit in Lesotho; the Lesotho side was earnestly looking forward to an early and positive progress in the implementation, which would inject robust energy into the economic development of Lesotho.
The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Mosisili said that the Lesotho side attached great importance to Lesotho-China relations as well and hoped the relations could be further developed; the Lesotho side believed that, with the help of development partners like China, Lesotho would achieve greater results in the next 50 years. He hoped that the two sides should take the opportunity of the implementation of the follow-up actions of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Lesotho, continuously deepening and widening cooperation in all fields, bringing more practical benefits to the peoples of both countries.
Hon. Sekhamane said, China was Lesotho's true friend and the Lesotho side was ready to further enhance mutual political trust, promote cooperation in all fields and actively implement the results of the Summit pragmatically.
