On July 6, 2016, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming met with former President Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires of Cape Verde, who was invited by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to visit China.

Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming spoke highly of the contributions made by Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires to the causes of China-Cape Verde well as China-Africa friendship. He expressed that attaching importance to developing friendly relations with Cape Verde, China is willing to strengthen practical cooperation in various areas with Cape Verde by integrating the implementation of "ten major China-Africa cooperation plans" announced at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, so as to achieve common development.

Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires thanked China's selfless support and assistance for the country's independence and development, and reiterated that Cape Verde will adhere to the One-China policy and firmly develop relations with China. He himself is willing to continue to contribute to the development of Cape Verde-China and Africa-China relations.