本書作者魏建國,現任中國國際經濟交流中心秘書長,原外經貿部副部長、商務部原副部長、十六屆中紀委委員。本書反映了作者37年間穿梭于中國和非洲兩地的所作所為、所見所聞和所思所想。追隨作者的腳步,讀者可以欣賞到非洲大地壯美的自然風光,感受到那里古樸淳厚的風土人情,領略到豐富的歷史地理知識和許多令人大開眼界的人文故事。但這本回憶錄遠不限于個人的工作經歷和人生感悟,作者以其親身經歷為基點,縱橫拓展,以簡潔平實的筆觸、獨特的視角、豐富的材料,寫出了新中國對非經貿波瀾壯闊的歷史進程。作者有如一位穿越于歷史與現實之間的友好使者,展示了一幅幅引人入勝的中非友誼歷史畫卷,讓讀者看到了中國眾多的對非工作者的奮斗奉獻,看到中非人民之間的深情厚誼,更看到了半個多世紀以來中非友好合作取得的多層次、全方位,意義重大、影響深遠的卓越成就。李長春、唐家璇為本書作序。基辛格、福田康夫、羅馬諾?普羅迪、讓?平等國際知名人士鄭重推薦。Benedetto Croce says, “All history is contemporary history.”Writing today’s history is never easy. Nonetheless, we should facethe challenge and seek lessons from contemporary history in orderto be better prepared and to move forward towards the future.This book records the author Wei Jianguo’s doings, experiencesand thoughts in the 37 years from 1972 to 2008. Through Jianguo’smemoir, readers see Africa’s spectacular natural landscape,understand its pristine customs and traditions, learn of its richhistory and geography, and become aware of numerous touchingstories.Based on his work experience, Wei Jianguo has extended hisperspective to the entire history of New China’s economic and traderelations with Africa from a unique point of view, with richcontents and in a straightforward style. Like a friendship envoyshuttling between the past and the present, he leads us toappreciate the skills of our colleagues working arduously inAfrica, to see the profound friendship between the Chinese andAfrican peoples, and to see the far-reaching significance of 60years of remarkable achievements in comprehensive friendlySino-African cooperation.