Guests from Botswana and Mauritius visit the Jiangsu College of Engineering and Technology in Nantong in 2018. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong in Jiangsu province has maintained close relations with Africa in commerce, trade, and people-to-people exchanges over the years.

Nantong has established sister-city relations with counterparts in four African countries and has invested in 48 projects across the continent, encompassing diverse sectors such as real estate and textiles. Furthermore, over 60,000 individuals from Nantong have initiated entrepreneurial ventures in Africa.

Over the years, Nantong and its sister cities in Africa have experienced deep and fruitful exchanges through senior government authorities, educational institutions, and private enterprises.

Guests from Comorin pose for a photo beside the statue of Zhang Jian (1853-1926), a renowned industrial magnate, educator, and scholar in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong University has offered education to 459 students from over 40 African countries.

Thanks to the efforts of Nantong businesspeople in Africa, Nantong Vocational University collaborated with the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation of Namibia and Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund to launch the education program for full-time international students, which has trained over 80 technicians for Namibia.

Nantong Vocational University has also established a vocational education center in the country to train skilled talents for Southern African countries and Chinese enterprises in Africa.

Early next month, 80 international students from four African countries including South Africa and Namibia are expected to begin their study career at Nantong Vocational University.