On October 30, Prof. Tao Yitao, director of the China Center for Special Economic Zone Research (CCSEZR), a key research base for humanities and social sciences under the Ministry of Education and president of the Belt and Road Research Institute (Shenzhen) for International Cooperation and Development (BRRIICD) visited the Embassy of the Republic of Benin on invitation, and had a cordial and friendly talk with the ambassador Mr. Simon P. Adovelande. Prof. Tao’s group includes Dr. Li Fan, associate professor and director assistant of the CCSEZR and Zhong Qi, president assistant of the BRRIICD.
Ambassador Simon P. Adovelande, grandly in traditional costumes of the Republic of Benin, met with the group led by Prof. Tao Yitao. He began with his warm welcome to the group and then expressed that he had long heard of Prof. Tao Yitao's academic attainment and held deep admiration for her research thoughts and views on the problems of China's Special Economic Zones (SEZs). He really looked forward to this meeting.
Group photo of Prof. Tao Yitao and Ambassador Simon P. Adovelande
Both sides first discussed the cooperation issues as mentioned in the Annual Report on the Development of Africa's Special Economic Zones under the Belt and Road Initiative (Blue Book). Prof. Tao Yitao introduced to ambassador Simon P. Adovelande the significance and content of the Blue Book. She said that the Annual Report on the Development of Africa's Special Economic Zones under the Belt and Road Initiative (Blue Book) is to date China’s only report that covers data collection and analysis, policy consultation, project assessment and prediction, and future development outlook under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Report presents the research content of “five areas of connectivity”, and features the sharing of China’s successful experience in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in a bid to serve national strategy and corporate investment needs, and to objectively record, analyze, and forecast China-Africa cooperation and progress of related projects. The compiler of the Report intends to present a distinctive blue book that combines policy consultation with academic research and that is unique in geopolitics (Africa), focused in cooperation (China-Africa cooperation), and sustainable in policy (BRI and a community of shared future for China and Africa). The Report truly and detailedly records the process and the progress of a shared prosperity between China and Africa under the Belt and Road Initiative in the new era in an objective and scientific manner and writes a new chapter for Sino-African friendship from an academic perspective.
Simon P. Adovelande showed great interest in the cooperation mentioned in the Report. He expressed that the Republic of Benin has been recognized as one of the BRI participating countries at Beijing Summit, so coauthoring and preparation of the Blue Book will act as a good opportunity for driving the BRI implementation. Benin government will therefore actively promote the cooperation between local uiversities and think tanks in Benin and us, and support the co-authorship of the Blue Book with official statistics and related talent.
Prof. Tao Yitao introduced Mr. Simon P. Adovelande to basic information of the BRRIICD. She pointed out that the BRRIICD is a new breed of private think tank that joins hands with the CCSEZR, a key research base for humanities and social sciences under the Ministry of Education, for a lot of meaningful programs. Currently, the BRRIICD and the CCSEZR have co-sponsored the World Special Economic Zone Development Forum, an academic brand with global clout for 19 times in a row. The BRRIICD has established the Belt and Road Scholarship, the Belt and Road Scholarship for Visiting Scholars, the Belt and Road University President Alliance, the Belt and Road Entrepreneur Alliance, the Belt and Road Artists Alliance and more. It also participates in the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation to share the successful experience of China's SEZs and the SEZ development and planning service with the government officials and entrepreneurs from the five countries located in the Lancang-Mekong area, and provide other developing countries with the Chinese solutions to the challenges confronting them during their development. Mr. Simon P. Adovelande thought highly of these efforts made by the BRRIICD.
After the talk, Prof. Tao Yitao presented ambassador Simon P. Adovelande with an introduction booklet of the BRRIICD and some souvenirs. Mr. Simon P. Adovelande gave away an introduction brochure of The Republic of Benin and the works of Benin artists to Prof. Tao Yitao. The talk was concluded in a cheerful atmosphere.
Ambassador Simon P. Adovelande presents Prof. Tao Yitao with souvenirs
Group photo of Prof. Tao Yitao and ambassador Simon P. Adovelande with other members
