Angolan Minister of Higher Education Adão do Nascimento believes the opening of a branch of China’s Confucius Institute at the Universidade Agostinho Neto in Luanda will strengthen his country’s cultural relations with the mainland, Angolan news agency Angop reports.

Angop quotes Mr Nascimento as saying the institute will make Angolans more familiar with China, its culture and language, and increase scientific exchanges between the countries. The branch was opened on Wednesday.

The Confucius Institute is an educational and cultural exchange organisation. It teaches Mandarin and promotes Chinese culture.

Angop says the new branch is the outcome of a co-operation protocol signed in March 2014 by representatives of the university, the Confucius Institute, Harbin Normal University and developer CITIC Construction.