On September 19, 2012, Chinese President Hu Jintao exchanged congratulatory messages with his Togolese counterpart, Faure Gnassingbe, to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Hu said in his message that 40 years ago, the older generation of leaders of China and Togo made a wise decision to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level between the two countries, creating the cause of friendship between the two countries. Over the past four decades, the two countries have worked for sincere friendship, treated each other as equals, and sought mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, said Hu. As a result, China-Togo relations have progressed healthily and smoothly, serving as a good example of South-South cooperation, said Hu. China is willing to take the opportunity of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties and work with Togo to strengthen friendly exchanges and expand pragmatic cooperation in a bid to continuously push their friendly cooperative relations to higher levels for the benefits of the two peoples, he said.

For his part, Gnassingbe said Togo-China relations are based on political equality and mutual trust, and economic mutual benefits and win-win results. Over the past 40 years, Togo and China have improved the well-being of the two peoples thanks to exchanges and cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, health and education, he added. He pledged that his country will work with the Chinese side for common prosperity of the two nations.

On the same day, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi exchanged congratulatory messages with his Togolese counterpart, Eliott Ohin.