The media in China and African countries should strengthen communications to improve coverage of their countries' development, said Cai Wu, minister of the State Council Information Office.

He made the remark in Beijing on Friday at a graduation ceremony for the Third Seminar for African Press Officials that began August 12.

Seventeen senior press officials from 15 African countries attended the two-week workshop.

"The seminar is very important in promoting mutual trust and strengthening political and cultural exchanges, and is conducive to economic co-operation," he said.

During the past two weeks, the African press officials visited Shenzhen, China's first special economic zone established in 1979, and impoverished Guizhou Province in Southwest China.

China's achievement in economic growth is amazing, said Berhan Hailu, Ethiopia's minister for information.

Thabang Motsoasele, director of information for the Lesotho Prime Minister's office, said the workshop has changed the way he sees China.

"The workshop is very impressive. Before I came to China, I got news about the country largely from the Western media, giving me an impression that Chinese people are not free. But now I found that the reality was very different. Chinese people have a lot of freedom. And the Chinese Government respects human rights."

In Guizhou, the African press officials had the chance to see how people from ethnic minority groups make a living.

"The Chinese experience in protecting the rights of ethnic minority people could be shared with our African countries," said Maria Sethubi Pule from Botswana.

Source: China Daily