A cargo ship carrying 434 heavy trucks departs from Yantai Port in Shandong for Nigeria on September 21, 2025. Photo: VCG

Editor's Note:

Amid the emergence of the Global South, China-Africa relations have entered a period of fast-track growth in recent years. As the international landscape becomes increasingly complex and interwoven, it is imperative for China and Africa to fortify their solidarity and self-improvement, as well as to further embrace the positioning of the "all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era." The Global Times, in collaboration with South Africa's Independent Media, has launched a series titled "Global South Dialogue · China-Africa Opinion Power," inviting Chinese and African experts and scholars to engage in in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics related to China-Africa relations and their international context. The second installment featured discussions on how China-Africa trade has defied headwinds and maintained strong growth amid severe shocks from unilateralism and protectionism to the multilateral trading system.

Why is China-Africa trade momentum so strong? 

Zhu Yaxiong (an associate professor at the School of Economics and Management, Zhejiang Normal University): China and Africa are bound together by similar historical experiences and a shared sense of mission. Since the 21st century, the establishment and development of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) have driven trade between the two sides to new heights, while cooperation in many other areas has also made steady progress.

According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs of China, China's foreign trade grew 3.5 percent year-on-year to 29.57 trillion yuan ($4.14 trillion) in the first eight months of 2025. In the same period, China's trade with Africa grew 16.6 percent year-on-year, far outpacing the growth of trade with other regions.

China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has not only become a key driver of Africa's economic growth, but also one of the fastest-growing areas of South-South cooperation.

Busani Ngcaweni (director of the Centre for Public Policy and African Studies, University of Johannesburg): China-Africa trade has followed a natural progression, even as Africa's traditional trade with other parts of the world has been in decline.

Trade is like water: You can't stop it. You can divert it and redirect it, but it will always find its way. It is thus natural to see major volumes of trade moving from Africa into China and Asia in general, as opposed to the traditional trading partners or colonial powers in Europe. This is demand-driven.

We also see during the same period a rise in investment from Chinese companies in Africa. For example, the types of Chinese companies investing in South Africa today are not the same as those 30 years ago. Today, they tend to be high-tech companies, financial services, and other firms operating at a higher value-added level, compared to earlier years when investments were more in textile factories and similar industries.

Ehizuelen Michael Mitchell Omoruyi (executive director at Nigeria Research Center, Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University): The China-Africa relationship can be summarized in two words: investment and trade. These are what define China-Africa cooperation and explain its robust growth.

Because of this, for the first time, Africa can turn resources into development projects, which is exactly what Africa needs to promote, because we need more development. We need to promote fair trade and build infrastructures. This is what we actually need to promote regional integration and advance the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

When we look at the immediate trends, if you look at Africa's efforts to diversify trade beyond raw materials, they are looking at how to increase exports of African agricultural products to China and shift toward value-added goods. These are what Africa needs to create growth, which is part of the reason for the robust growth in China-Africa trade. 

Digital trade is contributing to this robust growth. Renewable energy is another area to watch. At the same time, China and Africa should support the improvement of local industrialization and promote diversified, mutually beneficial cooperation to support Africa's long-term development.

Taking China-Africa trade cooperation to the next level

Endalkachew Sime (former state minister of the Ministry of Planning and Development, Ethiopia): When it comes to manufacturing units, the comparative advantage of bringing machinery from China is much greater and more attractive than other alternatives. Africa is the next growth pole, with a fast-growing middle-income population, the youngest population globally, and ample raw material resources suitable for manufacturing.

For trading elements, there are many options Africa can consider. But the logistical and economic advantages of producing final products within Africa, using African raw materials for African markets - especially as the continent integrates quickly under the AfCFTA - represent a very strategic opportunity. I call this the "high-hanging fruit" because achieving it requires intermediate steps.

Looking to the future, I think Africa and China are in a better position to focus on manufacturing.

Ehizuelen Michael Mitchell Omoruyi: China-Africa trade is very strong; it can be even stronger if we support Africa in breaking the colonial trade structures - that is, the patterns of production and distribution.

Africa makes up 17 percent of the global population, but our share of global manufacturing is only 3 percent, and our share of global trade is also about 3 percent. This shows that we are still exporting mainly raw resources instead of value-added products.

I think the first step is to address the colonial pattern of production and encourage African countries to add value to their products before exporting. 

The other issue is the pattern of consumption. About 84 percent of Africa's trade is with countries outside the continent. This shows that we are not trading enough among African countries. This is related to the colonial pattern - infrastructure was designed to connect externally, not internally.

However, China brings a different distribution pattern that connects countries together and promotes intra-continental trade. 

Another key factor is skills development. Instead of relying on aid to drive growth and reduce poverty, we can replace aid with skills acquisition. This is where China can play a role. 

Jointly navigating changes in the global trade landscape

Endalkachew Sime: When trade is disrupted by geopolitics or abnormal diplomacy, you might not get value for the products relative to the money you pay. When there are huge tariffs, both the seller and the buyer are discouraged. 

That's why we have to promote multilateralism and free trade as much as possible, even though it may be too good to be true to expect free trade in every part of the economic space. 

I think the most strategic approach in these kinds of economic dynamics is to continuously improve and broaden your options. For example, in South-South cooperation, the Global South is facilitating better economic collaboration than before. We need to strengthen these efforts and promote a more liberal and open market system and fair-trade practices for African products. 

Tebogo Lefifi (senior program manager and researcher at Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and director of Africa China Law Desk at University of Cape Town): Against the backdrop of the tariff war, China is still strong, with a clear direction, rules and established terms. On the African side, we still lack sufficient preparation and capacity to engage effectively. We need to deepen strategic partnerships between China and Africa to strengthen this. 

The WTO has been weakened, which has created a more fragmented world with overlapping trade blocs. So we are basically at the brink of a system that is almost going to regress, where we might end up with competing standards, more politicized trade and fragmented rules. 

I think China-Africa cooperation can, in a way, help shape a more transformative, rules-based trade system in this very turbulent world. I believe the AfCFTA is going to play a very critical role. 

Zhu Yaxiong: The US' arbitrary use of tariffs against its global trading partners has triggered widespread discontent. Confronted with the shocks of unilateralism, protectionism and economic coercion, many countries have been forced to rethink and adjust their approaches to international economic and trade cooperation. 

Against this complex backdrop, a pressing question arises: Is the world moving toward an international trade landscape without the US or with the US acting as a disruptive force? And is the international community prepared to face such a scenario? What role can the rising Global South play in defending multilateral trade, promoting a fair multipolar world, and advancing inclusive globalization? The answer lies in future global trade practices, where the Global South will play an ever more decisive role.