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A free trade agreement between 55 African countries will take effect in just over three weeks. African ambassadors say the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will provide more opportunities for trade with China. That’s the message from a round table organized by the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing on Tuesday.
Ambassadors present at the meeting said that free trade and openness will help drive economic development for all parties, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Isabel Domingos, Ambassador of São Tomé and Príncipe, spoke at the round table. / CGTN
Isabel Domingos, ambassador of São Tomé and Príncipe, spoke at the round table. / CGTN
“China has needs and Africa also has needs; China has potential and Africa also has potential. We have the African Continental Free Trade Area which can be a place to promote both sides and find a place to deepen cooperation between China and Africa.” “said Isabel Domingos, ambassador of São Tomé and Príncipe.
Established last year, the AfCFTA achieved one of the most important milestones over the weekend. The continent agreed to start trading on January 1 of next year under the rules of the free trade area.
The AfCFTA requires a strong infrastructure link across the African continent, an area China can go to help.
Poor and immature infrastructure connectivity between African countries is the main cause of low inter-African trade, but China is lending a hand through the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to build a global trade and infrastructure network. .
The ambassadors said that more initiatives and agreements are expected to be signed under the continental integration project, which will provide more opportunities for China and Africa to work together in the future.
Masanneh Nyuku Kinteh, Ambassador of the Gambia, speaks at the round table. / CGTN
Masanneh Nyuku Kinteh, Ambassador of The Gambia, speaks at the round table. / CGTN
“It is expected that once these initiatives take off, it will be necessary for the two partners to work together and come up with strategies that not only benefit both parties, but also work in partnership against some of the global challenges we face,” Masanneh said. Nyuku Kinteh, Ambassador of The Gambia.
The ambassadors added that greater openness to the global market is also one of China’s key focuses in its plan for the next five years.
Therefore, it is necessary for the African Continental Free Trade Area and Chinese initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative to create synergies to promote industrialization and competitiveness in the global market.
(Cover: Group photo of the participants in the round table held in Beijing, China. / CGTN)
