As commissioned by the Training Center of Chinese Academy of Governance, the 2017 Advanced-study Class for Central African Congressmen came to SAI for studies and research from June 8 to June 11. The class consisted of 20 members of the Central African National Congress and its administration staff. AURELIEN SIMPLICE KONGBELET-ZINGAS, Primary Vice President of the Central African National Congress, and GINA MICHELE SANZE, the Fourth Vice President of the Central African National Congress, served as the class monitor and vice class monitor respectively. JIANG Wei, Deputy Director of the Training Center of Chinese Academy of Governance, visited the SAI along with the class.
    SHEN Wei, Executive Vice President of SAI, met the class members with enthusiasm, accompanied by heads of the Foreign Affairs Division and the Training Division. SHEN Wei gave an introduction to the basic conditions of SAI, and said in his address that this class, held during the Belt and Road Summit for International Cooperation, was the practice of the Silk Road Spirits—“peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit”, and a good opportunity for mutual learning.
    On the morning of June 9, the class visited the CPPCC Shanghai Municipal Committee. Vice President ZHOU Hanmin met the class members and introduced the duty performance of CPPCC Shanghai Municipal Committee. They had friendly communication, focusing on multi-field cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. XU Haiying, Deputy Secretary General of CPPCC Shanghai Municipal Committee, was also at the meeting. In the afternoon, the class members headed to Linfen Sub-district of Jing’an District, where they inspected the exploration and practice of Shanghai grassroots service-oriented Party organization building and experienced colorful Chinese traditional cultural events such as tea art, ink and wash painting, and Shanghai opera.
    Prof. WANG Zhiping, Director of the Teaching and Research Department of Economics, and Prof. CHENG Zhuru, Director of the Teaching and Research Department of Scientific Socialism, exchanged ideas with the class members on the themes of Shanghais economic development and local election and residents participation in the administration and discussion of state affairs respectively. The class members had heated discussions and interactions with the teachers on how foreign entrepreneurs could enter the Chinese market, the relationship between national economy and private economy, how civilians participate in politics at the grass-roots level and democratic parties grass-root organization building at local level and so on.
    Mr. AURELIEN SIMPLICE KONGBELET-ZINGAS said he was astonished by Chinas development during the trip in China and believed that all the class members had learned a great deal. The cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative is a great opportunity for mutual learning in this era of globalization. They would share Chinas experience in development after returning to their country and further enhance the cooperation between the two countries. GINA MICHELE SANZE pointed out that this trip to China not only strengthened communication, but also learned  Chinas experience in development and the differences between the two countries political systems and Party relations. More importantly, they realized the necessity to hear grass-roots voice, find out peoples needs and respond to such needs in time.
    The class members also commented, “Despite the long distance between our countries, we will bring back all the memories and gains, and hope to have more chances to come to China”; “This study is an‘outside’and ‘inside’study, which has changed many of our views about China, let us feel the frankness, sincerity and kindness of China, and realize Chinas high values for grass-roots construction and the deepened notion of harmonious society”; “Chinas development is the worlds development”; and “hope the two countries will have broader cooperation.