The reporter learned from the Ministry of Commerce that driven by projects such as trade promotion, investment drive, poverty reduction and benefiting farmers, China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has developed steadily, and China has maintained its position as Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years.

In the first half of 2024, China imported US$60.1 billion from Africa, a substantial increase of 14% year-on-year. The amount of agricultural products imported from Africa has achieved positive growth for seven consecutive years. China has expanded the scope of products with zero tariff treatment for the least developed countries to China to 98% of tariff items, and has signed 22 protocols for the access of agricultural products to China with 14 African countries. In recent years, the import of African agricultural products that have obtained access to China has grown rapidly. In 2023, China's imports of fresh pears from South Africa increased by 1733% year-on-year, and the amount of avocados imported from Kenya increased by 624% year-on-year.

In recent years, China's direct investment in Africa has maintained a growth trend. China's direct investment flows to South Africa, Egypt, Zambia and other countries have remained above US$100 million for many years, covering many fields such as automobiles, home appliances, and agricultural product processing. China's first overseas economic and trade cooperation zone in Africa, the Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, has attracted nearly 100 companies to settle down and created more than 10,000 jobs for the local area.

Mao Xiaojing, director of the Institute of West Asia and Africa of the Ministry of Commerce's International Trade and Economic Cooperation Research Institute, said: "China-Africa trade volume has repeatedly hit new highs, and the trade structure between China and Africa is also constantly optimizing. China's investment in Africa has gradually expanded from traditional textiles to new fields such as automobile manufacturing and medicine. The continuous improvement of China-Africa economy has brought broad space for economic and trade cooperation."

By the end of 2023, China's direct investment in Africa will exceed US$40 billion

In recent years, China and Africa have complemented each other's advantages in industrialization cooperation and achieved fruitful results. By the end of 2023, China's direct investment in Africa will exceed US$40 billion. One by one, industrial parks from China are driving the development of "Made in Africa".

In this industrial park in Egypt, a batch of air conditioners with "local characteristics" are being produced at a rapid pace. Africa has frequent high temperatures, and these air conditioners can operate stably even at a high temperature of 53буC.

Mohammed Soleimani, air conditioner product manager at Haier Egypt Eco-Park, said: "We have been improving our air conditioners according to the actual needs of consumers in the Egyptian market, and the sales volume of air conditioners is expected to triple that of last year."

This industrial park was invested and built by the Chinese brand Haier, with localized production and localized research and development. The products produced here continue to fill the gaps in the local market. In the injection molding workshop of this industrial park, apprentice Abdu is checking and debugging the production equipment with his master Song Xiaowei. The company implements the master-apprentice system here, which has led to the gradual improvement of the business level of local workers.

Abdu, an employee of the injection molding workshop of Haier Egypt Eco-Park, said: "By learning from Master Song and other Chinese employees, we have learned how to control the mold temperature and how to control the equipment parameters. The technical and management capabilities cultivated in the work here will benefit us in the future."

Today, Haier has a total of 1,108 local African employees in its three factories and direct stores in Egypt, accounting for 96% of the total employees. While driving employment and improving the level of workers, cooperation in the industrial chain and supply chain is also constantly advancing.

China-Africa economic and trade cooperation deepens, small coffee shops welcome new development opportunities

There are more than 200 merchants selling African products in Hunan's Gaoqiao Market, which is known as the "China-Africa Expo that never ends". The small shops here have also ushered in new opportunities due to the deepening of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.

This coffee shop in Gaoqiao Market is filled with a strong African cultural atmosphere. The business is good, but the owner Jing Jianhua is facing "growing pains".

Jing Jianhua, founder of the "Xiao Ka Zhu" brand, said: "At present, our entire demand for raw coffee beans has doubled to triple compared to last year, and we lack some coffee resources in Africa."

Jing Jianhua began to introduce African coffee to China after visiting Africa in 2018. As China-Africa economic and trade cooperation becomes closer, his coffee beans are also changing.

Jing Jianhua said: "In the early days, we actually lacked some coffee resources in Africa. Now, relying on strong brand advantages, supply chain advantages and cost advantages, the overall comprehensive cost has dropped by nearly 30%."

Hunan Free Trade Pilot Zone has opened up all links such as direct purchase of African coffee, processing in China, brand incubation, and product sales. Reduced costs and smooth channels have helped Jing Jianhua open more than 50 coffee shops across China.

That day, with new difficulties, Jing Jianhua came to the Management Committee of the Free Trade Pilot Zone. With the matchmaking of the Management Committee, he talked about business with a coffee farm owner from Ethiopia.

Not only coffee, Hunan has built and operated 6 import industrial chains such as coffee, nuts, and wood products, as well as 4 export industrial chains such as small agricultural machinery and small hardware. Since the approval of the Hunan Free Trade Pilot Zone, the foreign trade indicators of the Yuhua Block of the Free Trade Zone have maintained double-digit growth, and the cumulative trade volume with Africa has exceeded 8.7 billion yuan.

Recently, the state approved the "Overall Plan for the Construction of the China-Africa Economic and Trade In-depth Cooperation Pilot Zone", and will actively support Hunan in promoting the construction of the China-Africa Economic and Trade In-depth Cooperation Pilot Zone. Relevant staff have started a new busy period.

Liu Yibiao, secretary of the Yuhua Party Working Committee of the Changsha area of the China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, said: "At present, we are exploring the application time for African agricultural and food products to enter the country, simplifying the application procedures, promoting the establishment of a green channel for African agricultural and food products to enter China, and speeding up the access procedures."

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