China-Africa trade cooperation growth

The Chinese government has issued a white paper on China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation, underlining latest achievements of the mutually-beneficial cooperation between China and African countries. The white paper, released by the Information Office of China’s State Council, introduces facts of trade development, investment expansion, agricultural cooperation, infrastructure construction and other fields of cooperation between China and Africa since 2009. “China-Africa economic and trade development has improved people’s livelihoods and diversified economic development in African countries, and provided strong support for China’s socio-economic development,” the white paper says. The cooperation between China and Africa also contributed to promoting South-South cooperation and balancing global economic development, according to the white paper. In 2012, the total volume of China-Africa trade reached 198.49 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year growth of 19.3 percent, it says. According to Xinhua news agency, the total bilateral trade volume, China’s exports to Africa and China’s imports from Africa all reached new highs last year. The white paper says that Sino-African bilateral trade enjoys great potential and is significant for the economic development of both sides.