The Chinese Embassy in Somalia hosted a reception on Thursday to mark the upcoming 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

In the capital Mogadishu, Somali government officials, representatives from various walks of life in the East African country, and delegates from foreign diplomatic missions in Somalia participated in the celebration.

Speaker of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur congratulated the Chinese government and people on the anniversary and expressed appreciation for the support China has extended to achieving peace and development in Somalia and other African countries.

Noting that Somalia and China enjoy a long-lasting friendship, the speaker said, "We share the pleasure with the Chinese government and people on this celebration."

Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Fei Shengchao underscored China-Somalia friendship, saying cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruitful results.

"No matter how the times and situation change, the proud and profound friendship between China and Somalia has never changed, and the friendly relations between our two countries keep growing from strength to strength," Fei said, noting that China is a staunch supporter of Somalia.

According to the ambassador, China has provided support to Somalia in security supplies, food aid, orphans' care, training courses, scholarships, and renovation of hospitals, schools and public institution buildings. With Chinese support and scholarships, hundreds of Somalis including diplomats, military officers, judicial officials, fishing experts, journalists and students have opportunities to go to China for training, education and exchanges.

The Chinese envoy particularly emphasized the importance of people-to-people exchanges in promoting the relations of the two countries. He shared with the participants the story of a six-year-old Somali boy, Kawkib Mohamud, who won the first prize in the "My Dream" painting competition with his work of a dove for peace. The painting was exhibited by Chinese astronauts on Wednesday on China's space station together with the other nine works of African youth.

"It's a very relevant message from a six-year-old Somali for peace and for the future," Fei said.