Africa calls for change in economic relations with China: from infrastructure to industrialization

African countries have called on China, Africa’s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, to shift the focus of the economic relationship from building infrastructure on the continent to supporting local industrialization.
With China’ trade with Africa having surged in 2022 by 14.8% year-on-year to reach $282 billion, the Asian powerhouse has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, and the commerce between the two sides has sustained rapid growing momentum in the first seven months this year, according to Chinese authorities. And while Beijing has also been the biggest financier of infrastructure in Africa, African countries now want China to shift its focus from building infrastructure on the continent to local industrialization, China’s top Africa diplomat said on Tuesday (22 August) on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. “African integration is already escalating and many African countries (have) asked China to consider (a) shift (of) our focus,” the Director-General of China’s Department of African Affairs at its foreign ministry, Wu Peng, stated.
Wu also added that the change was needed especially considering the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which was launched at the start of 2021 and is intended to enable African countries to trade tariff-free in future. China will further step up support for Africa’s industrialization and economic integration, as part of efforts by the two sides to enhance solidarity and cooperation as the world is undergoing a turbulent transformation, according to top Chinese officials. During his visit to Pretoria, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China firmly supports Africa in promoting its industrialization and agricultural modernization. China’s support for Africa’s industrialization and economic integration was also high on the agenda of the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue on Thursday (24 August).