info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
Image from iol.co.za
On June 27th, the first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo was held in Changsha, Hunan Province. A total of 53 African countries sent delegations to participate. The person in charge of the Ministry of Commerce said that China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has achieved a series of results and will further deepen cooperation in the future.
In addition to more than 50 African countries that have confirmed their participation, a number of international bodies such as the UN Industrial Development Organisation, World Food Programme and the World Trade Organisation sent representatives.
At least 1000 Africans are expected to attend the expo as invited guests or traders. This event is a further demonstration of the ever-growing Sino-African relationship which traverses a gamut of issues, from historical similarities, political affinity and aneconomic reliance to the recently deepening people-to-people relations.
Last year, China-Africa trade reached $204.2billion (R2.9trillion), up 20% year-on-year. China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 10 years. Thus, the expo seems to be an expected initiative between two parties that have had an impressively growing relationship.
For almost the whole of Africa, China has become an indispensable player in helping the continent to surmount its myriad challenges.
Opportunities such as those offered at the expo should be used to demonstrate China's good intentions as it relates with Africa.
It's encouraging that since the onset of the US-China trade war, Africa's non-traditional exports such as meat, fruit, nuts and tobacco have improved.
Trademaps estimates that meat exports to China from the Southern African Development Community had improved by 240%.
