China-Africa trade hits new high in first five months of 2025

China's trade with African countries hit a record high in the first five months of this year, reaching 963.21 billion yuan (about 134 billion U.S. dollars), up 12.4 percent year on year, according to the latest data from China's General Administration of Customs (GAC).

Specifically, China's exports to Africa rose 20.2 percent from a year ago to 599.57 billion yuan in the first five months, while its imports from Africa gained 1.6 percent to 363.64 billion yuan.

Since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000, China has expanded its economic and trade cooperation with Africa and has been the largest trading partner to Africa for 16 consecutive years.

The trade volume between China and Africa exceeded two trillion yuan (278 billion U.S. dollars) annually in 2024, growing for the fourth consecutive year.

"The China-Africa trade index formulated by the Chinese customs authorities has rapidly risen from the base value of 100 points since the establishment of FOCAC in 2000. It exceeded 1,000 points in 2023 and reached 1,056.53 points in 2024, fully demonstrating the strong vitality of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation," said Lyu Daliang, the GAC's spokesman, in an interview with China Central Television on the occasion of the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.

In recent years, the trade in agricultural products between China and Africa has been continuously expanding, with imports and exports exceeding 70 billion yuan for the first time in 2024.

In the first five months of this year, China imported agricultural products worth 15.83 billion yuan from Africa, while its exports of pesticide formulations and agricultural machinery to Africa increased by 12 percent and 41 percent respectively.

Since 2022, Africa has always been the largest market for China's exports of goods for overseas contracted projects. In the Jan-May period of 2025, China's exports to Africa in this way reached 12.59 billion yuan, an increase of 46.5 percent year on year.

In the first five months of this year, China's exports of ships and marine engineering equipment, construction machinery, and electric motors and generators to Africa increased by 41.6 percent, 58.5 percent and 51.1 percent year on year respectively.

China-Africa trade hits new high in first five months of 2025

China-Africa trade hits new high in first five months of 2025

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, and all acts of attacking civilians and non-military targets should be condemned.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone conversation with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.

Zayani briefed Wang on the regional situation and the Bahraini position, saying that Bahrain has always been a peace-loving country and should not be subject to unlawful attacks.

The Bahraini side expressed its appreciation and gratitude for China's just stance while voicing its willingness to work with Gulf countries and China to strengthen communication and coordination at both bilateral and multilateral platforms, including the United Nations, so as to achieve regional peace and stability at an early date.

Bahrain will continue to take strong measures to safeguard the security of Chinese personnel and institutions, he said.

For his part, Wang said that the situation in the Gulf region is rapidly escalating and the security of Bahrain has also been compromised, which is of deep concern to China.

China's position is consistent and clear: the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, and attacks on civilians and non-military targets should be condemned, he said.

The top priority is to immediately cease military operations to prevent the further spread of conflicts, Wang said.

The path to a breakthrough lies in returning to dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible, so as to strive to restore peace, he said, adding that the lasting solution is an unwavering commitment to jointly abide by international law and the fundamental norms of international relations.

As a strategic partner of the Gulf countries and a responsible major country, China has been actively promoting peace and stopping wars, Wang said.

The Chinese government's special envoy on the Middle East issue is currently shuttling through the region for visits and will also visit Bahrain, he said, adding that China will continue to play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the Gulf region.

Wang also expressed hope that the Bahraini side will continue to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Bahrain.

Chinese FM says all acts of attacking civilians, non-military targets should be condemned