Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi
At the Opening Ceremony
Of the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo

June 12, 2025

Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join so many friends, both old and new, in Changsha for the opening ceremony of the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. At the outset, on behalf of the Chinese government, I would like to offer warm congratulations on the opening of the Expo, extend heartfelt welcome to the distinguished guests coming from afar, and express sincere appreciation to all the friends from all walks of life who have long been actively supporting the China-Africa friendship.

The inception of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo is an important initiative President Xi Jinping personally announced for cooperation with Africa. Thanks to the strong support of various communities from both sides, three successful Expos have been held. The Expo has become a new mechanism of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, a new platform under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and a new window for China’s subnational economic and trade cooperation with Africa. Through the Expo, a large number of quality yet inexpensive African products, such as sesame, coffee, avocado and pineapple, have found their way into Chinese households and China’s equipment, technology, capital and talent have reached Africa, land of great potential. They are playing an important role in deepening China-Africa cooperation.

This year’s Expo has attracted nearly 4,700 Chinese and African enterprises and more than 30,000 friends from China and other countries. Preliminary cooperation agreements exceeded US$11 billion. I have no doubt that the Expo will bring about even more cooperation opportunities and outcomes for both sides, and provide stronger boost to China and Africa’s joint effort to build an all-weather community with a shared future for the new era.

Friends,

The theme of this Expo is “China and Africa: Together Toward Modernization.” Modernization is the shared aspiration that the 2.8 billion-plus people in China and Africa are striving for. It is also an important theme of the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. No matter how the international landscape may change, China will always stand firmly with Africa, provide strong support for Africa’s modernization, and in this process, be Africa’s true friend in the pursuit of development as well as reliable brother sharing weal and woe.

We will further enhance exchanges on governance with Africa. We will unreservedly share with African friends China’s experience on development through reform and opening up, jointly explore the way to accelerate modernization, and firmly support African countries in pursuing modernization path in the context of their national conditions.

We will further synergize development strategies with Africa. We will tap potentials in economic complementarity, improve cooperation model, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, speed up the implementation of the ten partnership actions, and prioritize cooperation in such key areas as green industry, e-commerce and technological innovation, so as to bring China-Africa cooperation to higher levels, greater depth and wider areas.

We will further open up toward Africa. China will sign agreements on economic partnership for shared development with African countries, deliver on the zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, provide more policy facilitation for the least developed countries in Africa, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation between the two sides, and encourage more African products to enter the Chinese market.

We will further deepen practical cooperation with Africa. We will scale up trade, improve trade structure, promote the interconnected development of investment and trade, deepen cooperation in industrial and supply chains, and help Africa advance industrialization and accelerate digital transformation. We will promote both signature projects and “small and beautiful” livelihood programs in a coordinated way, energize cooperation at the subnational level and between enterprises and industry organizations, and create more new highlights of cooperation.

Friends,

As an African proverb goes, a friend is someone you share the path with. The China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo carries the important mission of driving China-Africa cooperation and the expectation of our business communities. I hope all the participants will work together to explore new business opportunities, cultivate new driving forces, further elevate China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, and make new contributions to our joint efforts for an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.