Beijing \u2013 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi affirmed that China\nintends to maintain close ties with African countries.<\/p>\n
\u2018China\u2013Africa relations this year will welcome a series of new\ndevelopments. First, building a community with a shared future for China\nand Africa will advance with new steps, demonstrated by many visits by\nAfrican leaders,\u2019 Wang Yi said at a press conference on \u2018China\u2019s\nDiplomacy and Foreign Policy\u2019 in Beijing on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Second, Wang Yi said that from 1 May 2026, China will fully implement\nzero tariffs on 100% of Africa\u2019s products.<\/p>\n
\u2018With China's commitment to a high level of openness, we will use\ntariff reductions to drive \"additions\" in trade and realise\n\"multiplication\" of people's wellbeing, so that China's vast market\noffers greater opportunities for Africa,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Third, 2026 would be the \u201cChina-Africa Cultural Exchange Year\u201d and\nnearly 600 rich and lively exchange activities would be held throughout\nthe year.<\/p>\n
\u2018China is willing to work with our African brothers to deepen mutual\nlearning among civilisations, enhance people-to-people relations, and\npass on the China\u2013Africa friendship from generation to generation,\u2019\nadded Wang Yi.<\/p>\n
Wang Yi noted that over 70 years, China\u2013Africa friendship has\nwithstood changes in the international landscape and shown strong\nvitality. The Chinese foreign minister said that Africa has always been\nthe first stop of his overseas travels at the start of each year; this\npractice has continued for 36 years, consistently through wind and rain,\nand has become a kind of spirit and belief in China\u2019s diplomacy.<\/p>\n
\u2018Earlier this year when I visited Ethiopia, people remembered the\ntouching scene when Premier Zhou Enlai visited Africa. When I arrived in\nTanzania, the story of China\u2019s development assistance for the\nTanzania\u2013Zambia Railway remains widely told; many young Chinese\ntechnicians sacrificed their lives for it and rest there,\u2019 Wang Yi\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Entering a new era, Wang Yi said, President Xi Jinping also attaches\ngreat importance to China\u2013Africa relations, proposing a concept of\nsincerity, tangible results, friendship and real goodwill, and right\nviews on justice and interests, and leading cooperation with Africa to a\nnew level.<\/p>\n
China and African countries are known to have the forum \u2018Forum on\nChina-Africa Cooperation\u2019 (FOCAC) with 53 African nations (excluding\nEswatini) and the African Union Commission, which was established in\n2000 and holds summits at heads of state\/government level every three\nyears.<\/p>\n
According to data from China\u2019s Ministry of Commerce from December\n2021 to July 2024, China\u2019s imports from Africa reached US$305.9 billion.\nChina has also been Africa\u2019s main trading partner for 15 consecutive\nyears.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-maintains-close-ties-with-african-countries-1772997339", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }