"This is the third time I have participated in the 'Belt and Road' International Cooperation Summit Forum. In the past ten years, more and more African countries have participated in the joint construction of the 'Belt and Road' and made positive contributions to the development of the 'Belt and Road' cooperation mechanism." From Cameroon Mendu, co-founder of the China-Africa Youth Federation, said in an interview with a reporter from Xinhua News Agency.
Since the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative was proposed, it has received active support and active participation from African countries.
A report recently released by the South African Institute of International Affairs pointed out that China is Africa's largest trading partner, and deepening cooperation between China and Africa will help change the trade pattern of the African continent.
In recent years, China's imports of agricultural products from Africa have continued to grow and it has become Africa's second largest agricultural export destination.
Fresh fruits, South African red wine, Senegalese peanuts, Ethiopian coffee... Driven by the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative, China has actively established a "green channel" for African agricultural products to be exported to China, and more and more African specialty commodities are selling well in the Chinese market.
China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has become increasingly close, and the scale of trade has steadily increased. According to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce of China, the total trade volume between China and Africa has exceeded US$2 trillion in the past ten years. China has always maintained its status as Africa's largest trading partner. In 2022, China-Africa trade volume will increase by 11.1% year-on-year. Data from the General Administration of Customs of China show that in the first seven months of this year, the scale of China-Africa trade was 1.14 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.4%.
Liu Yuxi, the Chinese government's special representative for African affairs, said in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency that Africa is one of the most active and determined directions in supporting the joint construction of the "Belt and Road". With the joint efforts of China and Africa, China-Africa cooperation has forged ahead. In 2022, China-Africa trade volume hit a new record of US$282 billion. China-Africa mutually beneficial cooperation has shown great vitality and vitality.
During the forum, African countries such as Cameroon, Central Africa and Cote d'Ivoire became the first batch of participants in the "International Economic and Trade Cooperation Framework Initiative for Digital Economy and Green Development". All parties look forward to strengthening trade and investment cooperation, tapping the potential of the digital economy and green development, and promoting Sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
An article published on the Ugandan "New Vision" website in January this year stated that compared with other regions, African countries need foreign direct investment more, and China plays a major role in promoting the improvement of local infrastructure. From China's perspective, the world is made up of many countries, each with its own customs and social and economic systems. When China opens to the world, trade will follow. From the ancient Silk Road to the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", this is illustrated.
