The Road of China Africa Cooperation is Wider and Wider Africa | Audience | Central Africa
The third China Africa Economic and Trade Expo has just begun, and Ma Wuli's booth is filled with his paintings, including colorful elephant trunks, rising dolphins, and oil paintings that allow viewers to experience the beauty of Africa up close. Ma Wuli is a young Ghanaian painter from West Africa. He studied in Beijing and stayed in China for ten years, even giving himself a unique Chinese name.
"I hope to let more people understand Africa and identify with its cultural characteristics through these works." During the two days of the exhibition, more than ten of Ma Wuli's works have been sold and continue to be favored by audiences. Many people say that these paintings bring them unique African imagination.
On June 29th, the third China Africa Economic and Trade Expo opened in Changsha, Hunan. This year's expo has attracted 1500 exhibitors, an increase of 70% compared to the previous one. Early in the morning on the first day of the exhibition, exhibitors from China and Africa were eager to queue up and bring over 1500 exhibits from 29 countries to the audience.
In the "Country of Cotton" exhibition hall in Benin, the diverse colors of cotton attract attention; The vanilla pods, cocoa, and lilacs brought by Madagascar allow viewers to taste the "flavors" of exotic African island countries; The Democratic Republic of Congo has brought a range of local chili pepper products with a wide range of varieties. At the scene, specialty products from various African countries appeared on the same stage, with each booth featuring its own unique features, leaving the audience dazzled.
Outside the main exhibition hall, the atmosphere of the exhibition is equally lively. Activities such as the sub exhibition hall of the China Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Innovation Demonstration Park, the Africa Good Goods Online Shopping Festival, and the Africa Good Goods Promotion Conference are currently underway. On the eve of the opening of the Expo, South African Ambassador to China Xie Shengwen came to the live broadcast room here to introduce African delicacies to netizens. More than a hundred products, including South African white wine, Ethiopian coffee beans, Guinea African drums, etc., were added and ordered online.
"In the past few days, we have received many orders. Two tons of Kenyan purple tea have been sold out, and over 2000 boxes of various flavors of coffee have been sold. There have been on-site transactions for stone and wood carvings in Zimbabwe," said Deng You, the person in charge of the Yuhua Block Management Committee in the Changsha area of the China Free Trade Zone.
"We come to China not only to sell things," the Democratic Republic of Congo exhibitor told reporters. "I heard that after Rwanda's dried chili peppers entered China, they had a brand and sold well. This time, we also want to use the exhibition platform to cooperate with Chinese buyers and drive chili pepper sales."
At the Malawi booth, Ted, the National Coordinator of the Malawi Government's Agricultural and Commercial Projects, was busy introducing to representatives of Chinese companies who were visiting: "We have brought many unique products and look forward to more opportunities for trade with China through this expo. We also hope that Malawi and China can maintain good relations and enhance exchanges between the two peoples."
African exhibitors are not the only ones who want to "borrow ships to go out to sea", and domestic manufacturers are also taking this opportunity to seek partners in Africa.
"Africa is an important export market for our company, and we are looking for more African partners through the exhibition to further expand our exports to Africa." In the exhibition hall, Lu Yuelei, founder of Hunan Bingxun Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd., said that the company's orders to Africa in 2023 have reached tens of millions of yuan.
The "African fever" in the venue reflects the strong growth momentum of trade between China and Africa. During the China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, the General Administration of Customs released the China Africa Trade Index for the first time. Data shows that China's import and export value to Africa has risen from less than 100 billion yuan to 1.88 trillion yuan, with a cumulative growth rate of over 20 times and an average annual growth rate of 17.7%. It has remained the largest trading partner in Africa for 14 consecutive years.
In addition, this expo also demonstrates stronger inclusiveness and cultural significance. For the first time, the China Africa Women's Forum was held, and an exhibition on innovation and entrepreneurship achievements of China Africa women was established, showcasing the achievements of China Africa women's innovation and entrepreneurship from scientific and technological research to medical assistance, from economic and trade exchanges to poverty reduction, and from cultural exchanges to life integration.
In the program display area of the achievement exhibition, programs such as African Inspiration and Hanfu Walking Show take turns appearing. In the handicraft exhibition area, inheritors of intangible cultural heritage showcase Hunan embroidery, Liling underglaze colorful porcelain, and women's calligraphy skills on site. A young African girl from Madagascar followed the inheritor to learn female literature on site and presented her works to the audience.
"Through this achievement exhibition, I truly felt the charm of Chinese and African women, and I hope that Chinese and African women can build a bridge of communication and interaction through this exhibition, so that China Africa cooperation can go deeper and further." said Diavala, consultant to the Minister of International and Planning Cooperation of Guinea.
