Recently, Satyen Bhuruth, a journalist with Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) who traveled to China to cover the 2026 Two Sessions, took part in an interview on CGTN’s China Africa Talk, where he shared his views on China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and the country’s governance experience.

Is this your first time covering China’s Two Sessions? What policy signal stands out to you this year? If you’ve covered before, what feels different in 2026?

Satyen Bhuruth: It is my first time in China for the Two Sessions. Last year I was here for four months and during that time, we were exposed to Chinese history and culture and how China became the powerhouse it is today. We were also given a glimpse of how the five-year plans work. And this time I had the chance to come and see it all by myself. You always see those images on TV, and today being part of the event is something wonderful for me.

I think the five-year plans not only shape the path forward, but also ask questions like: Are we lagging behind somewhere? Is there something that is not going on as good as it should? Is there something we should refocus on, drop or add? These are things that work very well. And I think this is something that should inspire many countries to have plans for the coming five, ten, fifteen, and even twenty-five years, so that they can prepare for the future and shape the future for the younger generation.

As China begins its 15th Five Year plan, which development strategies interest you the most? What experience do you think your country can draw from?

Satyen Bhuruth: The plans that China has are not only for China itself, but also for the outside world. We know that China and Africa have been collaborating for the last 70 years of diplomatic ties. China has a huge advance over the rest of the world in some areas. The areas where I think China could help us the most are technology, solar energy, green energy, electric cars, computing power, and AI. These are the sectors that are going to dominate the world in the coming years.

Education-wise, Africa has grown a lot. Most Africans have a good level of education. What we need now is more support in some complex areas where we lack research and development facilities.

This year marks 105 years since the founding of the Communist Party of China. What lessons can Africa learn from the CPC’s governance?

Satyen Bhuruth: In short, we will never be able to replicate China exactly. We discussed this among African colleagues when we were in China last year. We asked ourselves: Why can’t we become the next China? Why can’t we achieve similar success?

One of the biggest challenges Africa faces is language diversity. The continent is divided among English-speaking, French-speaking, and Portuguese-speaking countries, and there is no single language policy. China is vast, but everyone speaks Chinese, which helps with unity. Africa also experienced colonization, and many countries were left in poor condition. Some are still struggling to rebuild and assert themselves. African countries also have different political systems. 

So for me, we have a lot to learn from China, but it will take time. It’s a long journey to achieve what China has achieved.