At the recently successfully convened First Council Meeting of the Ninth Session of the Shanghai Overseas Friendship Association (SHOFA) and the commemorative meeting for its 40th anniversary, Mr. Li Tie, President of the CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN ZAMBIA (CCCZ), was honorably appointed as a council member of the new session. This distinction not only acknowledges President Li Tie's outstanding personal contributions but also represents full recognition of the CCCZ's work in uniting overseas Chinese and promoting China-Africa friendship.
This important meeting, held on November 8 at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, reviewed the glorious 40-year journey of OFA-SJTU and elected its new leadership. Mr. Chen Tong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, was elected President. In his speech, he emphasized that OFA-SJTU will continue to hold high the banner of patriotism, unite patriotic and friendly forces from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas, serve the nation's high-quality development, steadfastly advance the cause of national reunification, and promote mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.
President Li Tie, an outstanding representative of the Zambian Chinese community, has long been dedicated to promoting China-Zambia economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. Under his leadership, the CCCZ has actively built platforms, served Chinese businesses in Zambia, facilitated integration into the local society, and has become a vital bridge enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and Zambia.
This appointment as a OFA-SJTU council member signifies the enhanced visibility and participation of the Zambian Chinese community in overseas friendship endeavors. President Li Tie stated: "This is an honor, and even more so, a weighty responsibility. I will live up to the trust placed in me, fully utilize the high-level platform of OFA-SJTU to better convey the voices of African compatriots, while actively guiding and organizing Chinese compatriots in Zambia to more proactively engage in the great endeavors of serving the motherland's modernization drive, promoting national reunification, and perpetuating Chinese culture. We will contribute wisdom and strength from Africa to the shared cause of national rejuvenation and to seizing Shanghai's development opportunities."
Having traversed 40 extraordinary years, OFA-SJTU is now embarking on a new journey. President Li Tie of CCCZ will work together with fellow members of the new council, upholding the founding purpose of the association, focusing on the Shanghai practice of Chinese-style modernization, developing and strengthening patriotic friendly forces, and striving tirelessly to foster a favorable international environment and promote mutual learning between Chinese and African civilizations.
