Scene at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Feb. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
A seminar on the China International Import Expo (CIIE), a trade fair held annually in Shanghai, China, since 2018, was held at the African Union (AU) headquarters on Thursday.
ADDIS ABABA, May 12 (Xinhua) -- A seminar on the China International Import Expo (CIIE), a trade fair held annually in Shanghai, China, since 2018, was held at the African Union (AU) headquarters on Thursday.
The seminar, among others, brought together AU commission representatives, African diplomats, Chinese delegation members, as well as diplomats from the Chinese Mission to the AU at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.
During the seminar, representatives from the China International Import Expo Bureau briefed participants on the CIIE in general, the exhibitions, and the potentials for African private and public sector actors to tap into the wider Chinese market.
Song Shangzhe, deputy director-general of China International Import Expo Bureau, said that through the CIIE, China contributes to global trade recovery, true multilateralism and an open world economy.
Held annually in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10, the CIIE is the world's first national-level import-themed expo that also incorporates diplomatic, economic and cultural exchange activities, he said.
Scene at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Feb. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
According to figures from the CIIE bureau, 31 African countries participated in the fifth CIIE last year, covering a total exhibition area of over 2,000 square meters. African products such as coffee, red wine, honey, chili peppers and avocados have stood out at the CIIE, buoying their popularity among Chinese consumers.
It said the expo has also enabled a significant number of African exhibitors to get orders from their Chinese counterparts.
At the CIIE, Song said, African countries have demonstrated their openness and innovation, as well as their dedication to win-win cooperation with China and the global community.
Over 600 companies from 50 African countries have participated in the past sessions, particularly in the food and agricultural products area, according to figures from the bureau.
Lin Zhiyong, minister counsellor of the Chinese Mission to the AU, said China has taken the initiative to expand imports of non-resource products from Africa, providing zero-tariff treatment for 98 percent of tariff lines of products from 33 least developed countries in Africa, and helping more African agricultural and manufacturing products enter the Chinese market.
He said China has been organizing the CIIE with particular emphasis on African exports to China.
"I am sure that there is much more the CIIE can contribute to the welfare of Africa, China and its people," Lin said. ■
