China held a promotional event on Friday in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the upcoming Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. 
Themed "China and Africa: Together Toward Modernization," the expo is scheduled to take place in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province, from June 12 to 15. 

At Friday's event, a promotional video highlighting the economic and cultural ties between China and Africa, particularly the connections Changsha has forged with African countries, drew significant attention from the audience. 

 In his keynote speech, Qiu Zhongyi, commercial counsellor at the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, noted that under the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, China and South Africa have continued to deepen their economic and trade cooperation. He highlighted that South Africa will once again serve as the guest country of honor at the upcoming Expo -- an opportunity that will further promote the in-depth integration of the two countries' industrial, supply, and value chains. 

To date, more than 12,000 participants from 44 African countries and six international organizations have registered for the event, setting new records in both scale and international participation.