Chinese diplomats across Africa have been unusually visible in recent days as part of an effort to raise awareness about what will likely be the world’s largest birthday party later this week (October 1) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the modern Chinese state or the People’s Republic of China.

Typically, Chinese ambassadors, with a few exceptions in places like South Africa and Kenya, generally do not make themselves available for that many news conferences. And when they do, as was the case recently in Accra where ambassador Shi Ting Wang spoke with journalists, we get a few tidbits of data that are otherwise difficult to come by.