An official from the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday announced China's continued support for 33 African nations and other least developed countries (LDCs) with diplomatic ties, helping them fully utilize zero-tariff treatment for all tariff lines.
The zero-tariff treatment, a voluntary and unilateral move to open its market wider and share its opportunities with LDCs, was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
"From December 1st last year when the zero-tariff treatment was launched, to March this year, China's imports from Africa's least developed countries reached 21.42 billion U.S. dollars, marking a 15.2 percent year-on-year increase," said Shen Xiang, director of the West Asia and Africa Department under the Ministry of Commerce.
Since the conclusion of the FOCAC 2024 summit, the number of African agricultural products allowed entry to the Chinese market has increased significantly. A total of 22 products from 18 African countries, such as soybeans from Zambia and peanuts from Nigeria, are now eligible for export to China, according to Shen.
China has also taken special measures including setting up a designated area at the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) to highlight African products and better conduct domestic buyers with African companies, a move that has effectively boosted the popularity of various African agricultural products in China.
Propelled by the zero-tariff treatment, China's imports of African coffee surged by 70.4 percent in the first quarter of 2025 alone, while cocoa bean imports grew by 56.8 percent.
Opening the Chinese market has significantly helped many African country's domestic development. Since Rwanda's dried chili peppers entered China in 2021, pepper has become a key export product for the country, bringing benefits to thousands of pepper farmers.
"We will continue to support the LDCs, particularly those in Africa, in fully utilizing this preferential policy, expanding the scale and variety of exports to China, and enjoying development opportunities provided by China's big market. This will also provide Chinese consumers and businesses with more affordable and high-quality options," Shen said.
China extends full tariff-free access to boost trade with Africa, LDCs
China extends full tariff-free access to boost trade with Africa, LDCs
South China's Hainan Province has introduced a new system that allows residents to submit information to authorities only once, after which it is automatically shared across government departments, aiming to reduce administrative burdens and improve governance efficiency.
Haikou City is home to more than three million people, which involves a heavy volume of administrative work. At Binjiang Subdistrict in Qiongshan District, Wang Dujuan, director of the administrative approval office, is guiding a resident through the required steps.
For officials like her, paperwork used to mean repeatedly entering the same information into forms for different departments. The "One Form Connect" system is helping eliminate that duplication.
"Before, we had separate forms for different departments. We had to enter the same information again and again and check data by hand, leaving less time to serve residents. Now, we enter information once and share it across departments. The system can also compare data, making our work more efficient and giving us more time to serve people," said Wang.
Senior-resident subsidies are one example. The system checks household registration and social security records to flag residents who may qualify. Community staff can help eligible residents register for the subsidy.
Officials say the system cuts down on manual checks and helps prevent missed or incorrect payments.
"We used to fill out more than 10 forms every quarter, covering things like population changes, social security enrollment, rental housing and public security patrols. Now, we can submit reports on our phones right from the field. There's no need to return to the office and sit at a computer. It takes just five minutes," said Zhou Chuanqi, head of Beichongxi Community Party Committee, Binjiang Subdistrict.
Official figures show that townships and subdistricts across Hainan now fill out an average of 26 forms a month, down from 96.
The platform was developed by Hainan's Big Data Development Center.
"We consulted frontline staff and reviewed the forms already in use. That helped us identify forms that could be combined and where new technology could help. We're bringing data together and using AI and other technologies to expand the system's applications," said Sun Jianming, deputy director, Hainan Big Data Development Center.
For Hainan, the reform is about more than simplifying procedures. Officials say it is also changing how local government operates at the grassroots level.
"After more than a year, we've seen that 'One Form Connect' is about more than a new way to submit reports. It reflects a deeper change in grassroots governance. It's also a way to improve work practices and extend full and rigorous Party self-governance to the grassroots. At the same time, it eases officials' workloads and strengthens digital governance," said Yuan Lei, director of digital government promotion division, Hainan Provincial Department of Business Environment Development.
Hainan rolls out 'One Form Connect' to cut paperwork, boost governance efficiency
