Maseru, Lesotho - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. City view

FILE: Lesotho - May 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Various of Ha Mpiti-Sehlabathebe Road

FILE: Lesotho - Date Unknown (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Ha Mpiti-Sehlabathebe Road

Maseru, Lesotho - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Moretlo Letebele, resident (starting with shot 3):
"It's now easier to get to facilities. It has helped us in terms of tourism, in terms of health. Getting to the clinics is now easier. In terms of tourism, getting to our National Park, it's now easier, because it was a travel route that used to take an hour and a half to get to. So now it's easier -- it now takes a few minutes to get there."

FILE: Lesotho - Date Unknown (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Bags of mushroom
6. Various of people cultivating mushroom

FILE: Maseru, Lesotho - April 12, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of workers at clothing factory

South Africa - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jervin Naidoo, political economist, Oxford Economics Africa (starting with shot 7/partially overlaid with shot 9):
"Lesotho is a big textile exporter. It's a big producer of textiles and manufacturing of fabrics and all these kinds of things. So for China, this is an important sector. It also produces a lot there. Lesotho is also a strategic partner. Lesotho is a very important producer of textile within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region."

++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
FILE: Maseru, Lesotho - Date Unknown (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
9. City view
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

FILE: Maseru, Lesotho - Date Unknown (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Various of mountains, buildings

People in Lesotho expect Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to the country will deepen bilateral cooperation between China and Lesotho.

Wang is visiting Africa, continuing the unbroken 36-year tradition of Chinese foreign ministers choosing Africa as their first overseas destination each year. Lesotho is the final stop of his African trip from January 7 to 12.

Many people in Lesotho believe the visit will strengthen bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, and trade.

Moretlo Letebele, a resident of Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho, said the Ha Mpiti-Sehlabathebe Road, one of the key projects of China-Lesotho cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, has already reshaped daily life in Lesotho.

"It's now easier to get to facilities. It has helped us in terms of tourism, in terms of health. Getting to the clinics is now easier. In terms of tourism, getting to our National Park, it's now easier, because it was a travel route that used to take an hour and a half to get to. So now it's easier -- it now takes a few minutes to get there," she said.

China has also supported agricultural initiatives in Lesotho, including storage and logistics facilities aimed at strengthening food security.

Projects such as Juncao mushroom cultivation have introduced new farming techniques, which have helped rural households generate income and reduce vulnerability to economic and climate shocks.

Experts said the timing of the foreign minister's visit is significant for the country.

Lesotho's textile sector -- one of the country's biggest employers -- was badly hit last year after steep tariffs imposed by the Trump administration restricted access to the U.S. market, leading to factory closures and job losses.

"Lesotho is a big textile exporter. It's a big producer of textiles and the manufacturing of fabrics and all these kinds of things. So for China, this is an important sector. It also produces a lot there. Lesotho is also a strategic partner. Lesotho is a very important producer of textile within the SADC (Southern African Development Community) region," said Jervin Naidoo, a political economist at Oxford Economics Africa, an economic advisory firm based in South Africa.

Still recovering from recent economic shocks, Lesotho is closely watching Wang Yi's visit for signs of deeper cooperation in trade, investment, and other sectors that will benefit the small nation and its people, experts said.