AnexhibitorpresentsavocadoproductstoavisitoratthesecondInternationalAfricaAvocadoCongress(AvocadoAfrica2023)inNairobi,Kenya,May31,2023.(Xinhua/DongJianghui)

BEIJING,June14(Xinhua)--ThethirdChina-AfricaEconomicandTradeExposcheduledfromJune29toJuly2inthecentralChinesecityofChangshawillhelpadvancehigh-qualityeconomicandtradecooperationbetweenthetwosides,buildingoncurrentachievements,officialssaidTuesday.

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ChinaisAfrica"slargesttradingpartneranditsfourth-biggestsourceofinvestment,ViceMinisterofCommerceLiFeitoldapressconference.Overtheyears,cooperationbetweenthetwosideshasextendedfromtradeandconstructiontoemergingareaslikedigitalinfrastructure,greendevelopment,aviation,andspaceexploration,Lisaid.

Theexpo,heldeveryotheryearinHunanProvince,isasignificanteconomicandtradeplatformundertheForumonChina-AfricaCooperationframework.Sofar,53Africancountries,eightinternationalorganizations,andover1,500centrally-administeredstate-ownedenterprises,businessassociations,andfinancialinstitutionshaveappliedtoattendtheevent.

APPEALINGEXPO

Thisyear"seventisexpectedtobemoreinfluentialthanpreviousonesasitwillcovermoretopics,saidShenYumou,headoftheHunanProvincialDepartmentofCommerce.

Forthefirsttimeintheexpo"shistory,forumsandseminarswillbeheldontraditionalChinesemedicinecooperation,women"sdialogues,andprofessionaleducation.

Theeventwillbebustlingwithparticipants,saidShen.Thenumberofexhibitorsaloneisupby55percentfromthelastexpoto1,350.ThemainvenuewillopenitsdoorstothepublicfromJuly1to2,whileamyriadofAfricanproductswillbeavailableforsaleatsecondarylocations.

Shennotedthatthe100,000-square-metermainvenuewouldhousemoreexhibitsthanpreviousevents.Alsodebutingthisyeararetwoachievementsexhibitions,oneforChina-Africahigh-qualityBeltandRoadcooperationandtheotherforwomen"sinnovationsandentrepreneurshipfrombothsides.

Potentialdealsandothercooperationprojectsunderdiscussionattheexporeached10.7billionU.S.dollarssofar,Shenadded.

COMMONDEVELOPMENT

Theexpowillhelpfosterconsensusandenhanceconfidencefordevelopmentonbothsides,saidJiangWei,anofficialwiththeMinistryofCommerce.Itwillgiveplaytolocalgovernmentsandenterprisesinpromotingcooperation.

AseriesofmeasureswillalsobeunveiledattheexpotoguidefuturemovesonimplementingthenineprogramsonChina-AfricacooperationproposedattheEighthMinisterialConferenceoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperationinNovember2021,saidJiang.

Thenineprogramshaveeachyieldedfruitfulresults,saidLi.Underthetradepromotionprogram,forexample,21Africancountrieshaveeachreceivedzero-tarifftreatmentfor98percentoftheirexportstoChina.

Underthecapacitybuildingprogram,14Chinesevocationalcollegeshaveestablishedpartnershipswith13Africancounterparts,whileChineseprojectsinAfricacreated300,000jobsforthelocalpeoplein2022,accordingtoLi.

OfficialdatashowedthatbilateraltradebetweenChinaandAfricastoodat282billionU.S.dollarsin2022,withexporttoAfricagrowing11.2percentyearonyearto164.5billiondollarsandimportupby11percentto117.5billiondollars.Inthefirstfourmonths,China"snewdirectinvestmentinAfricareached1.38billiondollars,up24percentyearonyear.