UB Confucius Institute Marks 50 Years of Botswana–China Ties with Book Donation
The Confucius Institute at the University of Botswana (UB), in collaboration with the China International Book Trading Corporation, has celebrated 50 years of diplomatic and cultural exchange between Botswana and China.
As part of the commemoration, the China International Book Trading Corporation exhibited and donated hundreds of Chinese books to the UB Library on the 28th of August 2025. The collection spans History, Arts and Culture, Science, Technology and Education.
Head of Delegation, Ms Li Nan, underlined the role of books as “a bridge to promote mutual understanding and mutual learning between different countries and ethnic groups.” She expressed hope that the donation would help Botswana readers gain deeper insights into China’s rich heritage and contemporary development.
“We hope that through these books, we can show our Botswana friends a real, three-dimensional and comprehensive China. We also hope to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the publishing circles of the two countries,” she noted.
UB Library Services Acting Director, Ms Botlhole expressed her delight, stating “the donation comes at a very opportune time for the UB Library and will add to and enrich the Chinese collection.”
Ms Botlhole noted that during her tenure, the UB Library benefitted greatly from Botswana-China 
relations particularly through fruitful exchanges with Shanghai Normal University under the China-Africa 20+20 Cooperation Plan. The exchanges enabled UB library staff to participate in cultural, teaching and research activities, ultimately catalysing the development of a Chinese Studies section that has supported UB students in their academic pursuits. She further expressed gratitude for the book donations, describing them as a hallmark of the 50th anniversary celebrations.
Phoenix Publishing and Media Group General Manager, Mr Ji Shu Song, explained that the 50th Anniversary highlighted the enduring partnership and collaboration between Botswana and China. He added that such initiatives presented opportunities to drive innovation and development in Africa and expressed hope that the book donation would nurture Botswana’s talent to world-class status.