Overview: China Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Continuously Deepens and Solidifies Expo | Africa | China Africa

Nairobi, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Summary: China Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Continuously Deepens and Solidifies

Xinhua News Agency reporter

Recently, African products such as Ethiopian coffee, Madagascar essential oils, and Kenyan flowers have traveled across the sea to Changsha, China to gather at the 3rd China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, bringing consumers a new choice of high-quality and affordable products.

On June 29th, people entered the main exhibition hall of the 3rd China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center. Photo by Sun Ruibo, journalist from Xinhua News Agency

With the joint efforts of Chinese and African governments, enterprises, and private individuals, cooperation projects have been implemented in recent years, and economic and trade exchanges between China and Africa have become more closely related to people's lives, continuously contributing to the construction of a high-level community with a shared future for China and Africa.

Smooth passage for African specialty products to be exported to China

The gradual warming of agricultural product trade between China and Africa is a major highlight of China Africa economic and trade cooperation.

Fresh avocado from Kenya has received high praise since its export to China last year, driving local avocado export trade. According to importer Shanghai Guorui Information Technology Co., Ltd., as of June this year, over 3000 tons of Kenyan avocado were transported to China through the company, benefiting more than 3200 local growers and creating opportunities for more people to participate in avocado trade.

On August 2, 2022, employees sorted and boxed avocados at the Sangrup factory located in Limuru Town, Kenya. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui

Avocado is a microcosm of the flourishing development of agricultural trade between China and Africa. Since the establishment of the "Green Channel" for exporting African agricultural products to China, 16 types of agricultural products from 11 African countries, including South African citrus and Tanzanian sesame, have entered the shopping carts of Chinese consumers.

Through platforms such as the China International Import Expo, the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, and the Africa Good Goods Online Shopping Festival, China actively provides national display windows for African agricultural products, helping them open up Chinese and international markets, and bringing new economic opportunities to African countries.

Tanzania is the second largest wine producing country in sub Saharan Africa, second only to South Africa, but its wine has low international recognition. Kato, the head of a Tanzanian wine company participating in the exhibition, said that the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo provides a good opportunity to promote domestic products to the international market, and the company looks forward to opening up the Chinese market.

Congo's Foreign Trade Minister Bousa recently stated in an interview that the third China Africa Economic and Trade Expo will promote the upgrading and diversified development of trade between the two countries. "China has rich experience in economic development and is worthy of Congo's serious learning."

According to statistics, in 2022, China's newly added investment in Congo reached 500 million US dollars, and the bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached 21.8 billion US dollars. The range of goods imported from Congo to China, which enjoys zero tariff treatment, has expanded to 97% since 2015.

Assist in increasing the added value of African agricultural products

The first batch of Kenyan deep-sea anchovies recently arrived in Changsha, Hunan and made their debut at this expo. These small fish are caught by fishermen in the eastern coastal areas of Kenya, processed by Chinese companies in local factories, and sent to China to make seafood snacks that are widely sold around the world.

On June 22nd, fishermen were fishing in the eastern coastal area of Kenya. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Guansen

Abdi, who is 30 years old this year, has over ten years of fishing experience. He said that since supplying to Chinese factories last year, fishermen no longer have to worry about product oversupply affecting the price of anchovy, and cooperation with Chinese enterprises has brought them sustained and stable income.

Kenyan Minister of Mines, Blue Economy, and Marine Affairs Salim Mwuria highly praised Chinese enterprises for creating more employment opportunities for local villagers. He stated that Kenya China fisheries cooperation will tap into the potential of Kenya's blue economy.

Improving people's well-being is the fundamental goal of development. China has long regarded poverty reduction and agriculture as a key area of cooperation between China and Africa, and has sent multiple batches of agricultural expert groups to Africa, establishing more than 20 agricultural demonstration centers. Chinese enterprises have established agricultural cooperation parks and agricultural product processing plants in multiple countries, using advanced technology, equipment, and experience to help partner countries increase crop yields, establish agricultural industry chains, and empower local economic and social sustainable development.

Last February, multiple Chinese enterprises signed cooperation agreements to build initial processing plants for agricultural products such as rubber, palm oil, and cotton in West African countries such as Cote d'Ivoire. Currently, two rubber factories have been put into operation under this framework.

Bonawantil, the resource supervisor of the Ivory Coast Agricultural Research and Consulting Industry Association, said that Chinese processing plants have changed the local rubber industry, providing stable and reasonably priced shipping channels for growers, and also attracting more young people to choose to stay in their hometowns.

The Road of China Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation is Widening

Over the years, China Africa economic and trade cooperation has been vibrant and developed steadily. The scale of China Africa economic and trade cooperation continues to expand. Through the "the Belt and Road" initiative, China Africa Economic and Trade Fair and other cooperation platforms, the "freehand brushwork" layout has been implemented into a large number of visible and tangible cooperation projects.

On September 14, 2022, in the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone, an African entrepreneurial youth used his phone to view cross-border e-commerce platform products. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Jianghui

According to statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the total trade volume between China and Africa has exceeded 2 trillion US dollars in the past decade. China has always maintained its position as Africa's largest trading partner. In 2022, the trade volume between China and Africa increased by 11.1% year-on-year.

From traditional industries such as agriculture, infrastructure, and manufacturing, to new industries such as green development, healthcare, finance, and digital innovation, the fields of China Africa economic and trade cooperation are becoming increasingly broad. The Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Changsha Ban, stated that the prospects for Africa China cooperation are broad.

Since the beginning of this year, several provinces and cities in China have sent delegations or held cooperation and exchange meetings to strengthen policy communication with African countries and meet cooperation needs. At the third China Africa Economic and Trade Expo held in Nairobi, investment promotion officer Augustu from the Kenya Investment Authority stated that Kenya will showcase investment opportunities in areas such as the blue economy, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital highways, and agricultural product processing at the expo.

This year is a crucial year for promoting the implementation of the nine projects of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation. Under the joint promotion of China and Africa, economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa continues to reach new heights, and the path of win-win cooperation is becoming wider and wider, injecting vigorous momentum into the well-being of the Chinese and African people and even the common development and prosperity of humanity.