CHINA continues its longstanding position as Africa’s leading trading partner, achieving a groundbreaking bilateral trade volume of $282.1bn in 2023. This marks the 15th consecutive year of China’s leadership in Africa’s trade landscape. Jiang Wei, an official from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, underscored the pivotal role of economic and trade cooperation in fostering robust China-Africa relations, stating, ‘Economic and trade cooperation is the ballast and propeller of China-Africa relations.’
Highlighting a forward-looking strategy, China’s State Council has approved a comprehensive plan to establish a pilot zone dedicated to enhancing economic and trade cooperation with Africa. Jiang Wei provided insights into the plan, explaining, ‘The main goal is to build an internationally competitive platform for cooperation with Africa.’ The overarching objective is to elevate the economic and trade partnership to new heights by 2027.
Jiang Wei further emphasised that the pilot zone will serve as a leading force, driving the transformation and upgrading of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The ultimate aim is to deliver tangible benefits to the people of both China and Africa, fostering sustainable development and mutually advantageous outcomes.