In Love with Africa

In May 2013, Li Ling and her husband visited the OI Doinyo Lengai, an active volcano near Lake Natron in Tanzania.

During the Spring Festival of 2010, Li and her husband visited Africa for the first time, traveling to Tanzania only. Throughout their journey they were impressed with the people they met, from native cooks to drivers who guided them safely on their safari. “Our driver was so considerate. He would not track animals merely to please us, but always followed the rules of the National Park. Once he took a detour off the beaten track to show us at close quarters the habitats of elusive leopards. According to the driver, by doing this he was taking the pressure off the already well-worn grasses of the plains.” Li said the locals they met were all very down-to-earth. “They just want to be good to you.” This helped the new couple quickly feel comfortable mingling with their African friends. That’s why they revisited Africa time and again.

We Are Friends

Experiencing Africa, Li and her husband gained a better insight into the well-known concept that “China and Africa are close brothers.”

On their first trip, as soon as they left the airport, they received a warm welcome from the locals. “The taxi driver asked us where we came from and as soon as he knew we were from China, he immediately replied ‘we are friends.’ The driver chatted animatedly and told us which roads and buildings had been constructed by China. We felt as if we were old friends.”

Many occasions like this warmed Li and her husband on their travels. Li recalled once in Tanzania in 2010, when they were traveling to Moshi, she approached some locals selling fresh fruit and vegetables at a service station. Li picked up a tomato and was going to ask the price when the bus they had been traveling on suddenly set off without her. “I shouted to the bus to stop, but it seemed the driver could not hear me. I still had the tomato in my hand but didn’t have time to take money from my wallet to pay for it. Our bus sped up and the tomato seller was running after the bus. I had no choice but to drop the tomato. I shouted ‘SORRY!’ to the girl but she just smiled and waved happily at me.” Li said she would have felt very guilty if the girl had become angry or disappointed. On the contrary, her smile dissolved the stress of the incident and further filled Li’s heart with love for the country.

On her travels, Li has found that Africans hold China in high esteem. This year, on a trip to Ethiopia, Li went to apply for 3G Internet only to be told that the capacity of the network was already full and she could only apply for a 2G connection. However, the native shop assistant told them, “Huawei has arrived in Ethiopia, so our network will be expanded successfully soon.” This was not the first time the couple had heard high compliments for Huawei during their journey. Such praise made Li, who works in the communications industry, feel proud. “China is helping Africa with many basic needs of its people; but Huawei is taking the level of aid one step further by developing its communication infrastructure to match that of developed countries. These Chinese enterprises are serious about helping African countries achieve informatization and modernization – they are not just paying lip service – and, therefore, they have gained respect of these African countries.”