"Since my arrival in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, I have been constantly asked by friends in South Africa, Africa and elsewhere abroad: What are your impressions? Is China a threat or a potential partner and so forth?" said Gert Grobler in a phone interview with ZICC, "My consistent reaction has been that I am privileged to have the opportunity to get to know this remarkable 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization, its history, culture and its people."

Grobler, a scholar and former diplomat in South Africa, has been employed as a senior researcher at the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University (IASZNU) in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, since 2019.

Grobler at a village in Jinhua. [Photo/Cultural Exchange Magazine]

"I have experienced nothing but kindness, generosity, respect and good will from the people of this country, at all levels, at all times," he said.

To him, the Zhejiang "economic model" based on hard work, spirited creativity, innovation and prioritizing entrepreneurship, increasingly privately owned, left deep impression.

"In my lengthy diplomatic career, I have inter alia worked and lived in Germany, the Great Britain, the USA and Japan, and nowhere had I experienced the same phenomenal intensity and scale of economic, technological and social progress, as I have witnessed in Zhejiang province and other parts of China, since my arrival in 2019," he said.

During his stay in Jinhua, Grobler conducted special lectures for faculty and students on topics such as South African foreign policy, South African diplomatic history, and international relations in Africa, while also undertaking research in international politics and China-Africa relations.

Grobler with colleagues from IASZNU. [Photo/Cultural Exchange Magazine]

Grobler shared that he also visited a number of small villages in Zhejiang, and was marveled at how these villages, like hundreds of others, have been totally transformed and modernized over a very short period.

"I was impressed by the integration of socioeconomic progress, ecological conservation, smart city development, progress in urban and rural governance and environmental protection," he said.

He said Zhejiang and Jinhua are currently involved in a growing number of commendable partnership projects with countries, provinces and cities in Africa with people to people exchanges in the educational and vocational training sectors and joint research while economic cooperation continues to grow with huge potential.

"I would like to pay tribute to Zhejiang province, cities like Jinhua, Yiwu, Wenzhou, Ningbo and institutions like ZJNU and many others for the multitude of constructive and commendable initiatives they have launched, to create 'bridges' and promote friendships with the international community including with my continent, Africa," he said.

Zhejiang-Africa trade volume reached $53.9 billion in 2023, while the province's investment in Africa hit $4.6 billion in the same year, according to statistics released by Department of Foreign Affairs of Zhejiang Provincial People's Government.

During his time in Zhejiang, Grobler was invited to attend over 40 conferences and gave speeches. He published over 80 commentary articles and interviews in both English and Afrikaans across international and Chinese media, promoting the China-Africa cooperation. Professor Liu Hongwu, Dean of the IASZNU, highly praised Grobler as "exceptionally dedicated and an ambassador for promoting China's image".

Although Grobler has been in South Africa in recent years, he continues to promote China-Africa cooperation. He also serves as the Honorary Dean of the South African Branch of IASZNU now.

"I am deeply honored to remain part of the reputable IASZNU. My stay at the institute and Jinhua was a remarkably informative and enriching experience," he said.

Liu noted that Grobler is still working closely with IASZNU. "He merely moved his desk from Jinhua to Pretoria, South Africa," he said.

"Zhejiang is one of my favorite provinces in China and I would like to go back to Zhejiang one day," said Grobler at the end of the interview.

Editor: Zhong Xinyi