Amid the tide of globalization, China-Africa cooperation stands at a new historical starting point, demonstrating vibrant developmental momentum. On June 13, during the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, a promotional event for the implementation plans of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation projects was held, focusing on advancing "iconic, smaller in scale but well-designed" project cooperation between China and Africa. The event systematically showcased the comprehensive service system for China-Africa economic and trade relations, as well as implementation plans for China-Africa industrial chain cooperation projects, jointly drawing a new blueprint for deepened China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.

19 Projects Precisely Addressing Africa's Needs

In Tanzania, a modern farm spanning 30,000 to 40,000 mu (2,000 to 2666.7 hectares) is being planned, which will introduce Chinese high-quality seeds, agricultural machinery, and processing technologies to drive the full-chain upgrade of sweet potato, cashew, and tobacco from cultivation to processing and sales, transforming former raw material production areas into food factories.

In Sikasso, Mali, at the tri-border area of Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, an integrated industrial-urban zone is taking shape. Using the "123+N" model to develop industries such as textiles, papermaking, and food processing, it is expected to create 100,000 jobs upon completion and achieve an annual output value of five billion USD.

The event released the "Master Outline for the Implementation Plan of China-Africa Industrial Chain Cooperation Projects," featuring 19 "iconic, smaller in scale but well-designed" projects precisely addressing Africa's needs. Through technology empowerment, model innovation, and full industrial chain cooperation, these projects aim to promote industrial upgrading and sustainable development in African countries.

As the implementing entity for the "Sikasso Special Economic Zone Construction Implementation Plan in Mali," Yi Ronggui, head of Hunan Xiaoyu Hunan-Africa Economic and Trade Development Co., Ltd., believes the project will significantly enhance the economic and social development of Mali and the African region.

"The first phase of the special zone covers an area of 80 square kilometers and has the potential to address employment for approximately 650,000 local people," Yi Ronggui explained, adding that Chinese enterprises will be introduced to invest and build factories in the zone, thereby boosting Mali's industrialization level.

Brehima Dit Fefe Kone, chief of the Cabinet of Mali's Ministry of Industry and Trade, highly praised the Sikasso Economic Special Zone project and China's cooperation model with Africa, calling for further expansion of China-Africa industrial chain cooperation to achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

"Over the next decade, these implementation plans are expected to drive industrial investments surpassing one-trillion-yuan mark. This is not just a set of numbers but a powerful testament to the expanding depth and breadth of China-Africa cooperation," said Xu Xiangping, president of the Hunan Research Society for Promoting China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation. As more Chinese enterprises venture into Africa, the innovative "integration of production, industry, and trade" cooperation model will inject enduring momentum into building a closer China-Africa community of shared future.

Deepening and Solidifying China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation

At the promotional event, 19 key projects were signed, including the China-Africa Economic and Trade Deep Cooperation Think Tank Strategic Partnership Cooperation Project, the Mali Sikasso Economic Special Zone Project, and the Kenya 40MW Photovoltaic Power Generation Project, with a total value exceeding one billion USD.

"The signing of these projects indicates that China-Africa economic and trade relations are advancing toward higher levels and multiple fields," noted Arkebe Oqubay, honorary researcher at the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research.

To further deepen and solidify China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, the Hunan Research Society for Promoting China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation released the "China-Africa Economic and Trade Index Report (2025)" at the event. This is the first comprehensive evaluation system in China to fully assess the development trends, progress, and effectiveness of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.

"China-Africa economic and trade cooperation still faces challenges such as uneven regional development," said Ling Yingbing, dean and professor of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Data Science Research Institute. He noted that the "China-Africa Economic and Trade Index Report (2025)" clearly reveals, through systematic data analysis, the differentiated performance of various African regions in economic and trade cooperation, with North Africa maintaining an overall leading edge, Southern Africa showing robust growth momentum, and East Africa displaying significant volatility.

Looking ahead, emerging fields such as the digital economy and green economy are poised to become new engines for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. The event also released the first domestic blue book systematically studying China-Africa economic and trade cooperation—"Blue Book of China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation: Development Report on China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation (2025)." Focusing on development opportunities in these cutting-edge fields, it proposed a series of innovative solutions, including constructive measures such as promoting photovoltaic technology transfer in the new energy sector and establishing a mutual recognition system for traditional Chinese medicine standards.

Deepened China-Africa economic and trade cooperation requires a dual drive of "hard infrastructure" and "soft intelligence." At the First Seminar on Building Comprehensive Cooperation Think Tanks for China-Africa Economic and Trade held that day, Arkebe Oqubay stated that creating deep cooperation think tanks for China-Africa economic and trade holds unique value. Think tank development should fully draw on the experience of outstanding international think tanks, focus on resolving challenges in policy alignment and enterprise implementation, and strive to develop into internationally distinctive think tanks.

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn