CAETE Brings Notable Results to Hunan-Africa Cooperation

2023-06-08

Hunan successfully held the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) in 2019 and 2021, which has facilitated the gathering of resources in Hunan for further cooperation with Africa. The Information Office of the Hunan Provincial People's Government held a press conference on the 3rd CAETE on June 6, 2023, introducing the remarkable achievements of Hunan in economic and trade cooperation with Africa since the first session in 2019.

New breakthroughs have been made in platform construction. The construction of the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation is in full swing. The exploration of new barter trade modes with Africa has been accelerated. There has been steady progress in the establishment of "six great centers," including the Africa Non-resource Products Distribution and Trade Center and the China-Africa Cross-border RMB Center.

Business with Africa has shown fresh vitality. Hunan has expanded the import of high-quality African-made products, launched the "Africa Brand Warehouse" project, and introduced 106 African branded products to major shopping malls. Relying on the Gaoqiao Grand Market, the province has promoted the construction and operation of six import industrial chains, marketing coffee, nuts, dried peppers, sesame, peanuts, and wood products, as well as four export industrial chains for small-scale agricultural machinery, small-scale hardware, pre-packaged food, and daily necessities. The first trial order for pre-packaged food through market procurement trade has already been completed.

Key projects have led to fruitful outcomes. Hunan has supported seed enterprises to experimentally plant hybrid rice in 16 African countries, and has carried out initiatives in breeding, high-yield demonstrations, large-scale planting, and technology transfer cooperation in 11 countries to realize hybrid rice commercialization. The province has also extensively participated in infrastructure construction across Africa, completing a number of projects such as Senegal's competitive wrestling arena, Algeria's north-south highway, and Uganda's Karuma hydropower station.

Trade channels have been further expanded. Hunan has advanced the construction of the Hunan-Guangdong-Africa rail-sea intermodal transport channel, launching the "Hunan-Guangdong All-in-One Port" service, and setting up a "one-stop" international logistics channel service platform. Following the opening of a passenger route from Changsha to Nairobi, Kenya in 2019, a cargo route from Changsha to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was opened in 2022, establishing convenient air transportation between Hunan and Africa.

The province has established new mechanisms for exchanges with Africa, implementing communication arrangements for counterparts in economic and trade cooperation between African countries and Hunan cities and prefecture. Since the end of April, 13 cities and one prefecture in Hunan have sent delegations to their counterpart African countries, publicizing the third CAETE, introducing the conditions of the province and its cities, and extending business invitations on behalf of the provincial government.

Various resources for cooperation with Africa have converged in Hunan, adding new impetus to the province's trade with Africa. The Hunan-Africa trade volume hit 55.66 billion yuan in 2022, an increase of 42.8% year on year, with Hunan ranking eighth in the country and first in central China. In the first four months of this year, the trade volume reached 22.04 billion yuan, a 90.4% increase compared to the same period last year.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn