Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian

China-Africa trade was "full of highlights" in the first six months of 2026, with total imports and exports reaching 1.41 trillion yuan ($208 billion), the highest level recorded for the same period in history, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing on Monday. Lin said full-year trade is expected to reach a new record.

Lin said the trade structure continued to improve, noting that 75 percent of China's exports to Africa consisted of capital goods and intermediate products, primarily production materials and non-consumer goods intended to support Africa's industrialization and agricultural modernization. 

According to Lin, in May and June, after China began implementing expanded zero-tariff treatment on imports from all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, China's imports from Africa totaled 193.8 billion yuan, up 23.5 percent year-on-year. Lin added that four categories of African products — dried chili peppers, coffee beans, cashews and wild aquatic products — have now gained region-wide market access in China.

Lin also dismissed claims of a trade imbalance as "a discourse trap" concocted by certain actors with ulterior motives to disrupt China-Africa cooperation, saying that amid the global headwinds of regional conflicts, rising unilateralism and protectionism, China's zero-tariff policy demonstrates its commitment to high-level opening-up and its responsibility as a major country, and it has been widely welcomed by African nations and praised by the international community.

"International trade is a two-way choice and there is no such thing as forced buying or selling," Lin added.

China will continue to improve the level of trade facilitation between China and Africa, and will take concrete actions to help more high-quality African products with distinctive features enter the Chinese market, Lin said, adding that these efforts will inject new impetus into building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.


Global Times