Zero-tariff policy can help bolster trade with Africa

Editor's note: Starting Friday, China will expand its zero-tariff policy to cover all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties. In an interview with People's Daily, Wang Xuekun, head of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, spoke about how the upgraded policy can enhance China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. Below are excerpts of the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

Trade between China and Africa has registered robust growth in recent years, with continuous improvements in its structure. For 17 consecutive years, China has remained Africa's largest trading partner. The volume of China-Africa trade has hit record highs for five straight years starting 2021, reaching $348.1 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 17.7 percent.

Agricultural products from Africa have increasingly entered the Chinese market, offering Chinese consumers more diverse choices. Other products, such as electromechanical products from Morocco, Tunisia and South Africa and textiles from Egypt, Tanzania and Ethiopia, have also been exported to China. China-Africa trade cooperation is evolving from mere exchanges of goods to the in-depth integration of industry and supply chains.