BEIJING – President Duma Gideon Boko has described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a transformative and pragmatic leader whose governance philosophy is rooted in a deep understanding of China’s material realities, while also reaffirming his belief that Marxism should be treated as a guide to action rather than rigid doctrine.

He further argued that former colonial powers owe Africa reparations for centuries of exploitation, slavery and resource plunder.

Speaking during an exclusive interview with CGTN’s He Yanke during his state visit to China, Boko offered rare insights into his own ideological influences, his assessment of Xi’s leadership style and his views on historical justice for Africa.

Reflecting on Xi’s leadership, Boko characterised the Chinese president as “a revolutionary leader” who has successfully interpreted China’s unique conditions and developed strategies tailored to the country’s circumstances. According to Boko, Xi’s approach demonstrates the importance of understanding concrete realities before formulating policy responses.

“He has been able to devise approaches and strategies from that understanding of the circumstances of China and chart a path to a future that China has been able to pursue and is in the process of attaining,” Boko said.

The Botswana leader pointed to Xi’s developmental record in Fujian Province before ascending to the presidency as evidence of his leadership credentials. He said Xi left behind “a trail of tangible achievements”, improving people’s livelihoods and helping transform an impoverished region into a modern and industrialised economy.

Boko said Xi’s journey from provincial leadership to the highest office in China testified to his resilience, integrity, wisdom and deep understanding of governance.

On ideology, Boko traced his intellectual development to his father, whom he described as an avid reader of Marxist literature. Growing up surrounded by those works cultivated his own passion for reading and political theory.

“I read Marxism. I read it intimately. I read it thoroughly,” Boko said, before stressing that Marxism should not be approached as a rigid creed.

“This is not a dogma, but a guide to action.”

He argued that leaders and policymakers must analyse prevailing conditions, understand the realities they confront and formulate appropriate strategies based on those circumstances. Theory, he said, must continually interact with practice if it is to remain relevant and effective.

Boko’s strongest remarks came when discussing global perceptions of Africa and the continent’s quest for historical justice.

Commenting on a United Nations initiative championed by the African Union to promote more accurate representations of Africa’s size on world maps, Boko argued that the historical diminishment of the continent reflected broader efforts to undermine Africa’s significance and the dignity of its people.

He described those distortions as part of a wider pattern of dishonesty that had normalised the marginalisation of African civilisation and contributions on the global stage.

According to Boko, efforts to correct those historical misrepresentations should also strengthen calls for accountability from former colonial powers.

He said countries that colonised Africa, extracted its resources and participated in the enslavement of Africans amassed wealth through the exploitation of both the continent’s natural resources and its people.

“They are in debt. They owe Africa,” Boko said. “They owe those people that they captured and enslaved. They owe them reparations.”

The president argued that meaningful acknowledgement and restitution for colonial-era injustices were necessary if the international community was to genuinely atone for what he described as grave wrongs committed against Africa and its peoples.

Throughout the interview, Boko linked these themes of governance, ideology and historical justice to a broader vision of self-determination, arguing that nations must understand their own realities, draw lessons from successful development models and pursue progress on the basis of dignity, sovereignty and mutual respect.

© Adapted from CGTN interview with President Boko as it appears on YouTube