China-Africa Tianjin attended the China-Africa Economic and Trade Situation Outlook and China-Africa Import and Export Trade Procurement Press Conference

Source of text丨China Economic Network

Author丨Yang Chuyu

The China-Africa Industrial Cooperation Development Forum (CAIF) held a press conference on the outlook for China-Africa economic and trade situation in 2025 and procurement news for China-Africa import and export trade on December 10 in Beijing. More than 100 participants attended, including leaders from relevant ministries, African experts, representatives from local governments, entrepreneurs, and media. China-Africa Tianjin Investment Co., Ltd. (China-Africa Tianjin) was invited to attend, deliver a keynote speech, participate in interactive Q&A, and sign a strategic cooperation agreement with the China-Africa Industrial Cooperation Development Forum.

Cheng Zhigang, Executive Chairman and Secretary-General of the China-Africa Industrial Cooperation Development Forum, stated that Africa is a land full of opportunities in terms of development potential and economic growth space. The growth rate of Chinese enterprises and individuals entering Africa has exceeded previous years, reaching a historical high. Africa's weak industrial foundation requires a large amount of imports, such as machinery, equipment, and industrial products, making it the best area for Chinese enterprises to transfer capacity and cooperate.

Former Director of the Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Cheng Tao, stated that among the 20 fastest-growing economies in the world in 2024, 11 are from Africa. This indicates that Africa's economy has enormous growth potential and is expected to become one of the important engines of global economic growth in the future. The complementarity of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation is strong, with great potential.

Song Heping, former Director of the Trade Relief Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that economic and trade cooperation is the "ballast" and "propeller" of China-Africa relations. In recent years, a series of impressive data has shown that the scale of China-Africa trade has repeatedly reached new highs, and the scale of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation continues to expand and grow steadily, full of strong vitality.

Wu Wenhua, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the National Information Center, stated that digital economy cooperation will become an important component of practical cooperation in China-Africa economic and trade relations, serving as an important way to deepen China-Africa economic and trade cooperation comprehensively. In particular, cooperation in the field of digital infrastructure will help Africa narrow the digital divide and achieve digital transformation.

Wei Jianqing, General Manager of China-Africa Tianjin, stated that with the continuous advancement of China's Belt and Road Initiative and Egypt's Suez Canal Corridor Development Plan, the governments of China and Egypt actively encourage and promote both sides' enterprises to expand economic and trade cooperation. China has become Egypt's largest trading partner and the largest source of imports. The China-Egypt Tianjin Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (Tianjin Cooperation Zone) is recognized by the Chinese and Egyptian governments as the industrial park with the best comprehensive environment, the highest investment density, the highest output per unit, and the highest concentration of Chinese-funded enterprises. It has become a landmark project for the alignment of China's Belt and Road Initiative with Egypt's Suez Canal Corridor Development Strategy, as well as a demonstration project for China-Egypt and China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.

At the meeting, the China-Africa Industrial Cooperation Development Forum signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China-Africa Tianjin. According to the agreement, the China-Africa Industrial Cooperation Development Forum will establish an international representative office in the Tianjin Cooperation Zone to jointly promote China-Egypt economic and trade cooperation.

Wei Jianqing stated that the Tianjin Cooperation Zone and the China-Africa Industrial Forum complement each other's advantages and will jointly carry out comprehensive and in-depth cooperation in overseas business layout, supply chain services, international trade, marketing promotion, and other fields, serving Chinese enterprises to go out along the Belt and Road, jointly explore the Egyptian and African markets, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win development.

During the Q&A session with guest reporters, Wei Jianqing interacted with Cheng Zhigang, Executive Chairman and Secretary-General of the China-Africa Industrial Cooperation Development Forum, Han Bing, President of the Dezhou Council for the Promotion of International Trade in Shandong Province, Li Mansi from the Shenzhen Brand Protection and Development Promotion Association, Xu Ning, Deputy Director of the Shandong Provincial Office in Beijing, Li Huiping, Deputy Director of the Shanxi Provincial Office in Beijing, and Shen Haiyi, former Director of the Jiangsu Provincial Government Office in Shanxi, on issues such as how Chinese enterprises can enter Africa, the export of traditional Chinese industries, relevant policies in African industrial parks, the medical field in Africa, and digital industries in non-foreign exchange settlements.

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