Munetsi Madakufamba is a member on a delegation consisting of 16 academics from 11 African countries
The executive director of the Southern African Research and Documentation Center in Zimbabwe is on his third visit to Beijing and his seventh to China.
After a half hour bullet train trip from Beijing to Tianjin he was impressed at the prospect of the better connectivity that high-speed trains could bring to Africa.
During the two-day visit in Tianjin, Madakufamba, 46, visited hi-tech enterprises, a container terminal, a cruise ship terminal and Sino-Singapore Eco-City.
He believes the eco-city could inspire people when building new cities.
"The concept of eco-city is very important to tackling climate change and should be adopted in Zimbabwe," he said.
The Chinese tour has also affected Ethiopian Yonas Adaye of the Institute for Peace and Security Studies with Addis Ababa University.
"At four in the morning, I heard the noise of vehicles. I was surprised that the street was full of people going to work at five. The secret of development of China is hard work. I was absolutely amazed," Adaye said.
Adaye told Xinhua that Chinese ideas on poverty reduction have impressed him. The Chinese leadership considers all people, which should be an absolute guideline for African leaders.
At a seminar on opportunities of China-Africa Cooperation in a new era Thursday, Garth LePere of Pretoria University in South Africa spoke of his hope for this year's Beijing summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
The seminar, sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), focused on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, opportunities in global development, a shared future for China and Africa, and the Belt and Road Initiative.
The FOCAC brings great opportunities and has benefited many African countries, LePere said.
Madakufamba called for more economic cooperation with China to find a sustainable way to help Africa industrialize.
"China has viewed the world from four corners - east, west, north and south, and Zimbabwe should learn from the concept," Madakufamba.
On Belt and Road Initiative, Leon-Marie Ndjodo, a visiting scholar at Zhejiang Normal University, said the initiative has scientific and educational aspects.
In ten years or fifteen years, Africa will have enough human resources for industrialization, Ndjodo said.
The fact that China remains committed to poverty reduction through a people-centered approach can inspire developing countries, said Cai Fang, vice president of CASS.
In the past five years, China has lifted 66 million rural people out of poverty and will ensure the remaining 30 million people escape by 2020, according to Cai.
"China will never export its values and attaches no conditions to its assistance. The Chinese government and people are willing to patiently help Africa develop," Cai said.
