AKP Phnom Penh, April 23, 2026 —

A high-level promotion symposium on the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the ninth Hongqiao International Economic Forum (HQF) was held Tuesday at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, emphasizing the need to tap into the "unique and powerful" platforms to penetrate the vast Chinese market and accelerate Africa's industrialization.

The high-level symposium was jointly hosted by the CIIE Bureau and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum Secretariat, in partnership with the Chinese Mission to the AU and the AU Commission. The symposium brought together over 80 guests, including AU leadership, Chinese and African officials, as well as representatives of the business community from both sides, to explore concrete ways of deepening economic cooperation.

Addressing the gathering, Ron Osman Omar, director for industry, minerals, entrepreneurship, and tourism at the AU Commission, highlighted that the elevation of China-Africa relations into an all-weather partnership reflects not only political trust but also growing strands of economic and development cooperation, playing a pivotal role in advancing the interests of the Global South.

Noting that the relationship between Africa and China has reached an "unprecedented level of dynamism and strategic depth," Omar said the CIIE offers African businesses a vital platform, serving as "a gateway to scale up and diversify exports, and integrate into global value chains."

"The CIIE has emerged as a unique and powerful platform by creating opportunities for countries, particularly developing economies, to access the Chinese market. The CIIE contributes meaningfully to expanding trade, supporting enterprise development, and promoting value addition," the director said.

Jiang Feng, head of the Chinese Mission to the AU, said that the CIIE is the world's first national-level exposition dedicated to imports, serving as a major platform for China to advance high-standard opening-up and share development opportunities with the world.

He noted that in recent years, China has steadily expanded zero-tariff treatment for African products exported to China, streamlined customs procedures, and enhanced trade facilitation, thereby reducing barriers and broadening channels for African goods to access China's vast market.

"Beyond trade in goods, the CIIE promotes market connectivity, industrial collaboration, and development empowerment. It aligns closely with the AU Agenda 2063 and strongly supports Africa's pursuit of industrialization, agricultural modernization, and economic diversification," Jiang said. "While offering African products a valuable export route, the CIIE also brings in technologies, equipment, investment and management expertise, helping Africa turn its resource endowments into industrial strength."

Amany Asfour, president of the Africa Business Council, stressed that the African continent is endowed with natural and human resources, urging partnership with China to harness these resources toward transforming Africa into a global industrial powerhouse through investments in agribusiness, healthcare infrastructure, and technology transfer.

The high-level promotion symposium noted that the CIIE and the HQF, representing China's concrete actions in supporting true multilateralism and fostering an open world economy, have continued to contribute to upholding the multilateral trading system, promoting South-South cooperation, bridging development gaps, and providing international public goods.

The ninth edition of the CIIE will be held in November in east China's Shanghai, contributing to global economic growth and enabling countries across the globe to share China's opportunities since 2018. Held concurrently with the CIIE, the HQF, which focuses on cutting-edge issues in global development, brings together a wide range of international participants, consolidating multilateral consensus, and serving as a high-level platform for international dialogue and cooperation. 

AKP-Xinhua