Scholars laud reply letter sent by Xi

Note from Chinese president is 'public reward' for academics' hard work

Ehizuelen Michael Mitchell Omoruyi, a Nigerian scholar working in China, said he felt "valued, appreciated, seen and accepted "when he read a reply letter from President Xi Jinping, in which the Chinese leader recognized the efforts of African scholars in fostering understanding between China and Africa.

"It is a public reward for all the hard work we have been doing," said Omoruyi, the executive director of the Center for Nigerian Studies in the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University.

Omoruyi is one of a group of scholars from 50 African countries who jointly sent a letter to Xi ahead of the 2024 FOCAC Summit in Beijing, calling for greater collaboration between Africa and China in various fields of academics and research.