BEIJING
China and 53 African nations, along with the African Union Commission, on Wednesday called on the US to return to trade talks based on “equality, respect and mutual benefit,” urging a shift from protectionist tariffs to multilateral dialogue.
The appeal came in the China-Africa Changsha Declaration on Upholding Solidarity and Cooperation of the Global South, issued at a ministerial meeting on China-Africa Cooperation held in Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan province.
“Given that certain countries’ attempt to disrupt the existing international economic and trade order by tariffs undermines the common good of the international community, we call on all countries, the US in particular, to return to the right track of resolving trade disputes through consultation based on equality, respect and mutual benefit,” the declaration said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and dozens of African foreign ministers and senior officials attended the event.
The 10-article declaration urged the international community to prioritize Africa’s economic challenges, stressing that development aid “should be effectively increased, not unilaterally slashed,” and called for “true multilateralism.”
It warned that “unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying” are severe challenges for African countries and the broader Global South.
China said it is “ready to” expand its zero‑tariff policy to cover 100% of tariff lines for all 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing — excluding Eswatini — to support African exports.
Bilateral trade volume between China and Africa rose to 2.1 trillion yuan ($292 billion) in 2024, up from less than 100 billion yuan ($13.9 billion) in 2000, according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs cited by the state-run Global Times.
The push for equal dialogue comes amid rising tensions over US trade measures. In April, Washington imposed steep tariffs on multiple African countries, including 50% on goods from Lesotho, 47% on Madagascar, 40% on Mauritius, 38% on Botswana, and 31% on South Africa.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Wang held bilateral talks with foreign ministers from Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, and Angola to discuss trade, investment, and development partnerships.
