THE third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo kicked off on Thursday in Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan Province.
The expo welcomed more “Made in Africa” products into China and aimed to boost business links between the two sides.
Themed “Common Development for a Shared Future,” the four-day event would be attended by representatives from 53 African countries and multiple international organisations. The number of exhibitors reached 1 500, up 70 percent from the previous expo.
A myriad of African products would be on display, from Kenyan roses to Egyptian essence, as traders from the countries use the expo to explore the vast Chinese market.
This year’s event is expected to be more influential than previous ones as it would cover a wider range of topics. For the first time in the expo’s history, forums and seminars would be held on traditional Chinese medicine cooperation, women’s dialogue and professional education.
As part of the expo, a forum on sanitary and phytosanitary cooperation was scheduled for Thursday, and it was expected to facilitate African exports of agricultural food products to China. The guest countries of honour at the expo are Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zambia. First launched in 2019, the expo has become a major platform for strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries.
It is the third time the expo takes place in Hunan, one of the most active provinces in terms of economic and trade ties with Africa and a trailblazer in China-Africa cooperation. China is Africa’s largest trading partner and its fourth-biggest source of investment.
Official data showed that bilateral trade between China and Africa stood at US$282 billion in 2022. In the first four months of the year, China’s new direct investment in Africa reached US$1.38 billion, up 24 percent year on year. —Xinhua