On October 20th, the 2025 Conference Week of the China Africa Satellite Remote Sensing Application Cooperation Center was grandly opened in Deqing, Zhejiang. Nearly 140 representatives from 20 African countries, international organizations, embassies in China, and Chinese co construction units jointly discussed the development plan of China Africa satellite remote sensing cooperation.
The theme of this conference week is "Satellite Remote Sensing Application Cooperation, Empowering the New Future of China and Africa". It is guided by the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources, jointly organized by the National Land Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center and the National Satellite Ocean Application Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and supported by the United Nations Global Geographic Information Knowledge and Innovation Center and the Deqing County People's Government.
At the opening ceremony, representatives from China and African partners delivered speeches successively, unanimously affirming the positive achievements of China Africa satellite remote sensing cooperation. The Land Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in satellite remote sensing applications with relevant institutions in Burundi, Comoros and Gabon; Presenting high-resolution remote sensing images and thematic products to Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Experts and officials from the Land Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, the National Satellite Ocean Application Center, and the Earth Observation Organization delivered keynote speeches.
This conference week will last until October 24th, during which multiple thematic activities such as the China Africa Satellite Remote Sensing Application Cooperation Seminar and Work Conference will be held. Representatives from African countries and international organizations attending the conference will introduce their overall situation, successful cases, experiences, and needs in satellite remote sensing applications, space information management, etc., further promoting deep cooperation between China and Africa in the fields of Earth observation and sustainable development.
It is reported that since its establishment in July 2023, the China Africa Satellite Remote Sensing Application Cooperation Center has signed memorandums of cooperation with government departments of 16 African countries and the Regional Center for the Development of African Resource Mapping. It has built 14 natural resource satellite remote sensing cloud service platform nodes and provided over 70000 high-resolution remote sensing images free of charge to African partners; Holding seminars, advanced training courses, and online training, covering over 400 people from various African countries, and jointly training more than ten African doctoral and master's students with universities. The center has developed a series of remote sensing products, atlases, and software achievements in the fields of urban development, land use change, and watershed monitoring. In the future, it will work with African partners to verify and promote more applications.
