China stands ready to serve as a booster for Africa's development and revitalization, and invites all African countries to get on board the express train of its development to jointly achieve modernization, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi just concluded his six-day visit to the AU headquarters, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Lesotho on Monday, marking the 36th consecutive year that China's foreign minister had chosen Africa as the first overseas destination of the new year.
At a regular press briefing in Beijing, spokeswoman Mao Ning underscored the symbolic and strategic significance of this long-standing diplomatic tradition.
"As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, this marks the 36th consecutive year that China's foreign minister has chosen Africa for their first overseas destination of the new year, a testament to the profound friendship between the Chinese and African peoples, reflecting both steadfast commitment and a cherished diplomatic tradition. While some describe Africa as a 'forgotten' continent, China sees it as a land full of hope, and chooses Africa as the first stop of its annual diplomatic calendar. The principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith, put forward by President Xi Jinping, has always guided China's cooperation with Africa, with sincerity and equality forming the bedrock of China-Africa exchanges. China and Africa are good partners who can trust and empathize with each other," said Mao.
"During the trip, Foreign Minister Wang Yi introduced the recommendations for China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. He emphasized that the plan not only charts a blueprint for China's future development, but also serves as an 'opportunity list' for countries around the world, including those in Africa. Wang stressed that China will continue to be an engine of global economic growth, and stands ready to act as a booster for Africa's development and revitalization," she said.
China previously announced that it will implement zero-tariff treatment for all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties, a move Mao described as a 'golden calling card' of China-Africa cooperation in the new era.
"The term most frequently mentioned by African officials was 'zero-tariff'. This measure is a 'golden name card' of China-Africa cooperation in the new era and represents a major step in China's proactive expansion of unilateral opening-up. It demonstrates China's willingness to shoulder greater international obligations and its firm commitment to advancing high-standard opening-up. China's vast market will truly become a great opportunity for Africa. We welcome all African countries to board the express train of China's development to jointly achieve modernization," said the spokeswoman.
China ready to serve as booster for Africa's development, revitalization: spokeswoman
China ready to serve as booster for Africa's development, revitalization: spokeswoman
A new round of trade-in subsidy program is energizing China's consumer market these days, with provinces across the country seeing a surge in demand for cars, home appliances and digital devices.
In north China's Shanxi Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, which started on January 9, has further helped boost sales in home appliances and digital devices which are covered by the new round of subsidies.
To enjoy the subsidies, six types of home appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines, must meet national Level 1 energy-efficiency or water-efficiency standards. Digital and smart products include four types, such as mobile phones and tablets, with a sales price cap of 6,000 yuan (about 800 U.S. dollars) per item.
In both categories, subsidies are set at 15 percent of the final transaction price. For home appliances, the maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per item. For digital products, the cap is 500 yuan per item. Each consumer can receive a subsidy for one unit in each category.
Neighboring Shanxi, Hebei Province kicked off the year of 2026 with the new round of trade-in subsidy program starting on January 1.
The subsidies cover automobiles, home appliances, and digital products. Individual consumers who purchase designated Level 1 energy-efficiency appliances or eligible digital products priced at no more than 6,000 yuan can receive subsidies equal to 15 percent of the transaction price. The maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per appliance and 500 yuan per digital or smart device, with each person limited to one subsidized item in each category.
Data showed that from Jan 1 to 9, Hebei's home appliance trade-in program alone disbursed more than 130 million yuan in subsidies, driving sales of over 920 million yuan.
In east China's Jiangsu Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, taking effect for two weeks, has brought the province a boom in trade-in.
At a local 4S store in Jiangsu's Suqian City, showroom traffic has spiked as salespeople walked customers through the new benefits from the trade-in subsidy program.
"Under the scrappage-and-replacement scheme, customers who buy a new energy vehicle (NEV) can receive a subsidy worth 12 percent of the vehicle price, capped at 20,000 yuan (about 2,860 U.S. dollars). For combustion-engine cars, the subsidy is 10 percent, with an upper limit of 15,000 yuan. For trade-ins, NEVs are able to receive a subsidy worth 8 percent of the vehicle price, up to 15,000 yuan, while combustion-engine cars will receive a 6-percent subsidy, with a cap of 13,000 yuan," said Sun Yue, a saleswoman at the store.
In the home appliance sector, Jiangsu's policy this year stipulates that only products that meet China's Level 1 energy-efficiency standard are eligible for subsidies. The scheme covers six major categories, including refrigerators and washing machines.
Consumers who purchase qualifying appliances can receive a subsidy equal to 15 percent of the final retail price, up to a maximum of 1,500 yuan per item. Each person is limited to one subsidized unit per product category.
Four types of digital and smart products, such as mobile phones and tablets, are eligible for a 15-percent subsidy capped at 500 yuan per unit, with a retail price no more than 6,000 yuan.
"With the national subsidy policy back in place this year, I went to the store to check what discounts I could get. It knocked 500 yuan off the price. [The discounted price is] very reasonable," said Wang Kang, a resident of Jiangsu's Xuzhou Province.
To enhance the shopping experience for consumers, many retailers are pairing subsidies with "one-stop" services that combine the delivery of new products with on-site collection of old ones.
"After consumers place an order for new home appliances, our staff will schedule a time to pick up the old units. Recycling the old appliance can also further offset the purchase price of the new one," said Yang Jie, a sales supervisor at a major home appliance company.
China's new trade-in program sparks consumption boom
