Promoting China Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation to a New Level Exhibits | Expo | Economic and Trade Cooperation

Guangming Daily reporter Zhao Jiawei

On June 19, the first batch of inbound exhibits of the Third China Africa Economic and Trade Fair arrived in Changsha, Hunan Province after completing customs clearance procedures. Kenya's moisturizing cream, Congee powder, Namibia's baobab fruit powder, Malula seed oil... A batch of commodities from Africa are about to enter the Chinese market.

The third China Africa Economic and Trade Expo will be held in Changsha, Hunan from June 29th to July 2nd. At present, exhibits such as black tea from South Africa and flowers from Kenya are gradually being declared for entry. The reporter learned from Changsha Customs that compared to the previous two expos, there has been a significant increase in the types and quantities of foreign exhibitors and exhibits at this expo. Currently, 1124 exhibits from 29 countries have participated, an increase of 87.3% compared to the previous expo.

Entering the Kenya Pavilion, the permanent exhibition area of the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Gaoqiao Market, Yuhua District, Changsha City, the fragrance is fragrant. Roses, lilies, and other flowers from Kenya fill the exhibition hall, with bright colors and a fragrant aroma.

Kenya is the largest flower exporting country in Africa. On April 16th, China Southern Airlines increased its flights from Changsha to Nairobi to two per week, with the fastest clearance time for goods taking only two hours. Thanks to the increase in flights and convenient customs clearance, more and more fresh flowers from Africa are being delivered to Chinese consumers in their most beautiful forms.

In order to attract more African friends to meet and explore new business opportunities for win-win cooperation, from April to May, 14 cities and prefectures in Hunan Province formed an economic and trade delegation to exchange and inspect their counterparts in African countries.

On April 27th local time, the "China Ivory Coast Investment and Trade Promotion Conference" was held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. "China is a world economic powerhouse, and the two countries should strengthen cooperation. This promotion conference and the subsequent Third China Africa Economic and Trade Expo provide valuable opportunities to consolidate the relationship between the two countries, and we hope to establish more and deeper partnerships with Chinese enterprises and investors." Akaanqui Stefen, Executive Director of the Cotdiva Enterprise Federation, said at the meeting.

Moreover, on May 19th local time, an economic and trade exchange and docking meeting was held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Africa. "This year marks the 51st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, and the two countries have close relations and good cooperation. The Yuan's agricultural promotion of hybrid rice project has helped the Malagasy people with their food needs. We look forward to cooperation between China and Malaysia in more fields," said Miguel, advisor to the Prime Minister of Madagascar. As one of the eight guest countries of honor at the 3rd China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, Madagascar will send a government and enterprise delegation led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture to participate in the exhibition and discuss and exchange economic and trade cooperation with China.

China Africa economic and trade cooperation has strong complementarity. In recent years, with the joint efforts of both sides, China Africa economic and trade cooperation has made tangible progress in areas such as goods trade, service trade, direct investment, and infrastructure.

In 2007, Zoomlion entered the African continent and was one of the earliest companies in China's equipment manufacturing industry to enter Africa. "With the momentum of the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, our annual growth rate in non business volume can reach about 50%." Wu Weiheng, Deputy General Manager of Zoomlion Heavy Industries' Overseas Company, introduced that Zoomlion Heavy Industries will debut at this expo with products such as agricultural machinery, concrete machinery, earthwork machinery, and engineering lifting machinery.

In 2016, Shandong Wuzheng Group established Wuzheng East Africa Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. in Uganda to carry out experimental breeding and tropical crop cultivation. At present, the project has introduced more than 60 large-scale agricultural machinery tractors and supporting agricultural machinery, with a total value of over 5 million yuan and a cumulative investment of about 20 million yuan.

"Africa is an important export market for us, and we have participated in all previous China Africa Economic and Trade Expo." Zhang Xiwen, Minister of International Cooperation of Shandong Wuzheng Group, expressed his hope to find more African partners through this Expo, expand import business from Africa, transform one-way trade with Africa into two-way trade, and achieve mutual benefit.

"The preparatory work for this year's China Africa Economic and Trade Expo is progressing in an orderly manner," said Jiang Shoufang, Executive Vice General Manager of Hunan Gaoqiao Market Co., Ltd. This year, Gaoqiao Market will undertake the function of showcasing trade, economic and trade activities, and the landing of exhibition results. The renovation has been basically completed, and the optimization of exhibits and atmosphere layout have been promoted simultaneously.

The China Africa Economic and Trade Expo is an important mechanism for China Africa economic and trade cooperation, and an important window for local economic and trade cooperation with Africa. It is of great significance for China to promote high-level opening up to the outside world and build a new development pattern. At present, 53 African countries with established diplomatic relations, 8 international organizations, 30 domestic provinces, regions, and cities, as well as more than 1500 central enterprises, business associations, and financial institutions, have signed up for the conference. 156 cooperation projects with a total amount exceeding 10 billion US dollars have been solicited for signing and docking.