By Yang Zhenxiao

During the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing held a few days ago, Chinese intangible cultural heritage paper cutting (Nantong) representative successor Liu Jing presented a specially crafted paper-cutting artwork to Masisi, President of Botswana, by China-Botswana Friendship Association.

On 25th August, Liu Jing received an invitation from Nan Gengxu, the president of China-Botswana Friendship Association —— to create a paper-cutting artwork with regional characteristics and cultural connotations.

Accepting the task, Liu Jing started to prepare intensively. Liu Jing introduced that Botswana is known as ‘the country of bull’. The paper-cutting work described Masisi with a ‘bull’ in a photo, which represents the importance of agriculture and animal husbandry industry in this country. In the work, the president wears a straw hat, with a smile on his face, highlighting a people-friendly style. The image of the bull comes from daily cow and old cattle. The horn and tail extend and form a ‘Tree of Life of Africa’ —— baobab tree, representing the fruitful achievements of cooperation in multiple fields between the two countries since China and Botswana established diplomatic relations.

On 4th September, Liu Jing headed to Beijing with great excitement, and gave the work to Nan Gengxu, who participated the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Shortly after, good news came that President Masisi highly appreciated her artistic talent and cultural expression in the paper-cut work. He remarked that it was not only a delicate artwork, but also the symbol of the deep friendship and cultural exchange between the people of China and Botswana.