New Products, New Cooperation, New Power China Africa | Africa | New Products, New Cooperation, New Power
In the midsummer season, on the banks of the Xiang River, thousands of merchants gather.
The 3rd China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, with the theme of "seeking common development and sharing the future", was held in Changsha, Hunan from June 29th to July 2nd. Widespread communication and active interaction among all parties, gathering new impetus for economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa.
Larger scale and diverse products
This year's China Africa Economic and Trade Expo is located in the main exhibition hall of the Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center, with a total of six pavilions and one area, covering an exhibition area of 100000 square meters, an increase of nearly 30000 square meters from the previous edition. It focuses on showcasing African specialty goods such as red wine, coffee, handicrafts, as well as China's engineering machinery, medical equipment, daily necessities, and agricultural machinery equipment. The sub exhibition hall is located in the China Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park, mainly relying on the permanent exhibition hall of the Expo to create an endless China Africa Economic and Trade Expo. More exhibitors and purchasers, more exhibits, and richer display content.
Weisheng Holdings Limited has been deeply involved in Africa for more than 20 years, delivering over 5 million electricity meters to Africa. In 2022, the operating revenue in the African region increased by 28.4% year-on-year. "At this expo, we will showcase the products and technological solutions related to basic livelihood issues such as water and electricity in Africa, as well as the latest integrated new energy solutions for light and storage, all in a panoramic manner," said Lv Xinwei, Vice President of Weisheng Holdings Limited.
"This year, we have set up a 200 square meter exhibition and showcased 2 'star products' for mining operations in the African market on site." Zhu Jianxin, Deputy General Manager of Shanhe Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., introduced that the company has invited merchants from West Africa and South Africa to Changsha to participate in exchanges and sign contracts, hoping to further deepen cooperation.
Madagascar's essential oils, Zambia's gemstones, Zimbabwe's wood carvings, Kenya's flowers... At this year's expo, African companies and product exhibitions gathered good products from various African countries, with 300 participating companies. Domestic consumers can experience African brand products and specialty products in a one-stop shop. Anna, an exhibitor from Kenya, said that she has brought Kenyan specialty tea and wood carving works, and there has been a constant stream of people coming to inquire. She believes that she will definitely have a full harvest.
Hunan has expanded the import of high-quality African products and launched the "African Brand Warehouse" project, with 106 African brand products gradually entering major shopping malls. Relying on the large market of Gaoqiao, we will promote the construction and operation of six import industrial chains, including coffee, nuts, dried peppers, sesame, peanuts, and wood products, and four export industrial chains, including small agricultural machinery, hardware, prepackaged food, and daily necessities, and complete the first trial order of prepackaged food by market procurement trade. Construct a China Africa live streaming e-commerce incubation center and a Mango public live streaming base, hold special events such as the Africa Product Live Streaming E-commerce Festival and the Africa Good Things Online Shopping Festival, with a total transaction volume exceeding 100 million yuan.
Pragmatic cooperation with significant results
On June 26th, 27 pieces and 315 kilograms of wild anchovy jerky produced in Kenya arrived at Changsha Huanghua International Airport. The Kenyan wild anchovy products imported by China for the first time have made their debut at this year's China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, attracting a lot of attention. Kenyan Minister of Mining, Blue Economy and Ocean Affairs Salim Mwuria stated that Kenya and China have maintained friendly relations for a long time, and have cooperated well in different economic fields and development projects. In the future, the Blue Economy will open up new areas for Kenyan China cooperation.
Huang Caixin, Director of the Import and Export Food Safety Department of Changsha Customs, stated that Kenyan anchovy jerky is another African product that Changsha Customs is involved in promoting access to. It is beneficial for Hunan to build an African non resource product distribution and processing trade center, as well as to promote the import of more high-quality African food and agricultural products, enrich domestic consumer choices, and promote the development of Sino African trade.
Walking into the permanent exhibition hall of the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, the aroma of coffee is overwhelming. The barista skillfully crafted coffee beans from over 20 African countries into over 30 different drinks. "This is our incubated local coffee brand 'Little Coffee Master', with nearly 50 stores nationwide," said Jiang Shoufang, Executive Vice General Manager of Hunan Gaoqiao Market Co., Ltd.
Since the first China Africa Economic and Trade Expo in 2019, Changsha has initially formed a complete industrial chain of African coffee direct harvesting, processing, brand incubation, and sales. In 2020, the Yuhua Block in the Changsha area of the Hunan Free Trade Zone established an African coffee trading center in the Gaoqiao Market. Leveraging the two major platforms of the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo and the Hunan Free Trade Zone, the overall cost of coffee is 30% lower than similar products on the market. Last year, the sales volume of African coffee beans in Hunan exceeded 1000 tons, and it is expected to double this year.
In addition to economic and trade issues, this Expo also arranged forums and seminars for the first time focusing on traditional Chinese medicine cooperation, quality infrastructure and other fields, held trade fairs around characteristic light industrial products and textiles and clothing for the first time, and set up the China Africa high-quality joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" achievement exhibition and China Africa women's innovation and entrepreneurship achievement exhibition for the first time; Eight African guest countries will set up independent exhibitions to showcase their own characteristics and styles. Malawi President Chakovira, who attended the opening ceremony of this year's China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, stated that the Expo has greatly enhanced cooperation between Africa and China, brought more prosperity to the region, and will take Africa China cooperation to a new level.
Continuous openness, mutual benefit and win-win situation
On June 29th, the General Administration of Customs released the "China Africa Trade Index" for the first time during the third China Africa Economic and Trade Expo. The index has a base value of 100 points in 2000 and reached 990.55 points in 2022, continuously reaching new heights. During the same period, China's import and export value to Africa increased from less than 100 billion yuan to 1.88 trillion yuan, a cumulative increase of over 20 times, with an average annual growth rate of 17.7%. China has remained the largest trading partner in Africa for 14 consecutive years. In the first five months of this year, China Africa trade continued to maintain a good momentum, with an import and export value of 822.32 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.4%.
Jiang Wei, Director General of the West Asia and Africa Department of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that "China Africa trade is mutually beneficial and highly complementary, providing strong support for the economic and social development of both countries and benefiting the people of China and Africa." As an important mechanism for China Africa economic and trade cooperation and an important window for local economic and trade cooperation with Africa, the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo is of great significance for Hunan to promote high-level opening up to the outside world and build a new development pattern.
The data is most intuitive - in 2022, Hunan's total trade with Africa reached 55.66 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 42.8% compared to 2021, and doubled compared to 2020. According to statistics from Changsha Customs, from January to May 2023, Hunan Province's imports and exports to Africa amounted to 27.01 billion yuan, an increase of 54.5% compared to the same period last year. Among them, exports amounted to 21.22 billion yuan, an increase of 91.1%.
In terms of trade promotion, Hunan deepens cooperation with international organizations such as the United Nations International Trade Center, actively promotes and facilitates market access for six types of agricultural products from five African countries. In terms of industrial interaction, we will align with the overall development plans of African countries and promote the entry of leading enterprises in advantageous industries into Africa. In terms of channel interconnection, passenger routes from Changsha to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, freight routes from Changsha to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and relay routes from Yueyang to Africa have been opened successively. In terms of financial reciprocity, we will establish a China Africa Financial Innovation Cooperation Center and carry out pilot projects for cross-border business of non small currencies
Kitchen appliances, electronic products, medical equipment produced in Changsha, shoes and hair products produced in Shaoyang... In the overseas warehouse of Kilimall located in Macacos County, Nairobi, the e-commerce platform, employees are busy and orderly sorting goods, printing orders, packaging and leaving the warehouse. "Now, there are over one million products to choose from on Kilimall, with approximately 20% of the products coming from Hunan," said Kilimall logistics manager Yifengna.
Kilimall, an e-commerce platform founded in 2014 and built by Changsha Feituo Information Technology Co., Ltd., is the first Chinese enterprise to enter the Internet and e-commerce industry in Africa. Now it is the largest e-commerce platform in East Africa, with tens of millions of users. Kilimall Brand Director Liao Zhengrong introduced that there are currently nearly a thousand local African merchants joining the platform, providing nearly 10000 job opportunities for the local market.
Gathering confidence from all parties and promoting pragmatic cooperation, the Third China Africa Economic and Trade Expo will undoubtedly become a new starting point for China Africa economic and trade cooperation, injecting new impetus into the high-quality development of China Africa economic and trade cooperation in the new era.
