Cape Verde and China mark 50 years of ties with new cooperation plans
Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho says the partnership will focus on the blue economy, renewable energy and connectivity.
Cape Verde and China marked 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2026, and Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho called for a new phase of the bilateral partnership. He named the blue economy, renewable energy, connectivity, the primary sector and creative industries as priority areas for the coming years.
Speaking in Praia at a ceremony held by the Chinese Embassy in Cape Verde, Carvalho described the five decades of relations as a "solid, continuous and promising" path. He cited Chinese help in building and improving infrastructure and equipment linked to public administration, culture and citizenship, and he credited the Chinese community in the country with boosting economic activity and creating jobs.
Carvalho pointed to the elevation of relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2024 and the recent signing of an Economic Partnership Agreement as steps that open the way for the next phase. Training and skills development remain central to the cooperation agenda. Cape Verde reaffirmed its support for the "one China" principle and its commitment to mutual respect and non-interference, and the ceremony also marked the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Why it mattersCape Verde's government plans to deepen cooperation with China in named sectors, and a recently signed Economic Partnership Agreement sets the framework for that work.