President of Cabo Verde Jose Maria Neves receives an interview with Xinhua in Praia, capital of Cabo Verde, on May 12, 2026. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

PRAIA, May 30 (Xinhua) -- China has always been an important partner in Cabo Verde's development process, with bilateral cooperation continuing to expand, making valuable contributions to the country's economic growth, social development and institutional capacity building, said President of Cabo Verde Jose Maria Neves.

Looking back on the development of bilateral ties, China has "always been present" at crucial moments in Cabo Verde's development, Neves said in a recent interview with Xinhua in Praia, the capital of the African island country.

Cooperation with China has had a positive impact in areas such as education and training, health care, agriculture, water resources development and infrastructure construction, he said.

Hundreds of Cabo Verde's officials and professionals have received training in China, while Chinese doctors and technical experts have long worked in Cabo Verde under cooperation programs, he noted.

Among the many infrastructure projects built with Chinese assistance in Cabo Verde, Neves singled out the Poilao Dam, saying it was a landmark project for the development of agriculture, livestock farming and the agro-food industry.

"It showed for the first time that it was possible to mobilize surface water in Cabo Verde," he said, adding that the country has since built several more dams across the archipelago.

In 2024, China-Cabo Verde relations were elevated to a strategic partnership. Speaking of future cooperation, Neves said the two sides should continue to expand cooperation into new areas.

The blue economy is the future of Cabo Verde, he said, noting that the two countries could strengthen cooperation in transport, fisheries, desalination, pharmaceutical and food industries.

Cabo Verde also looks forward to deepening practical cooperation with China in such fields as digital transformation, tourism, agriculture and livestock farming, and renewable energy, especially in wind and solar power, he said.

Speaking of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Neves said exchanges with China have been highly beneficial.

"China is a country with a long history and a rich culture, and also a country of great diversity," he said. "China's cultural wealth and millennia-old heritage, both tangible and intangible, have greatly enriched human culture."

Many Cabo Verde people who have studied in or visited China have been deeply impressed by China's practices in innovation, urban planning, regional development, nature conservation and higher education, he noted.

Such exchanges, he said, can help Cabo Verde develop tourism, culture, education and creative industries, while also bringing the peoples of the two countries closer.

Since May 1, China has fully implemented a zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations. Against the backdrop of mounting restrictions on international trade, China's further opening up to Africa will play a positive role in the continent's economic growth, he said.

On global governance, Neves said, "the world cannot be governed by one voice alone; all voices must be heard."

The China-proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative and Global Governance Initiative help promote dialogue and the search for solutions for a fairer and more balanced world, and are important for improving global governance, he said.

On the role that Global South countries can play in the international order and global governance, Neves said African countries should maintain "active neutrality" and should not become parties to conflicts and wars.

It is essential to safeguard multilateralism and respect international law, as well as national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to resolve conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, he said.

"We must give place to diplomacy instead of war," he added. ■

President of Cabo Verde Jose Maria Neves speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Praia, capital of Cabo Verde, on May 12, 2026. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)