The Confucius Institute at the University of Botswana (UB) has served as the cornerstone for Botswana-China relationship to promote educational and cultural exchange, said UB Deputy Vice Chancellor Maria Nnyepi on Monday.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of a brand-new Chinese-style pavilion at the Confucius Institute at UB in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, Nnyepi said the beautiful architecture, donated by the Chinese Enterprises Association in Botswana, named Zhiyu Pavilion in Chinese and Pula Pavilion in English, reflects the strong ties between Botswana and China.

Both names show blessings for the two countries, as Zhiyu literally means "to know the rain," and in local Setswana language rain is "Pula," the most sacred and beloved word in Botswana, said Nnyepi.

She stressed cultural education to "embrace other cultures to learn from them, to teach them our culture, and together grow into one humanity."

She commended the Confucius Institute at UB for teaching the Chinese language at UB and primary schools, offering vibrant cultural events to exposing local people to Chinese culture and Chinese language.

This year marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

Tao Lili, minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Botswana, hailed the new pavilion as a wonderful example of social responsibility and a new landmark of ever-growing bilateral ties. She encouraged more and more people in Botswana to grow into young envoys of friendship between the two countries, as well as China and Africa.