By LI Linxu

To enhance China-Africa cooperation in trade, industry, finance and people-to-people exchanges, China has recently approved the Overall Plan for Building a Pilot Zone for In-depth Economic and Trade Cooperation Between China and Africa, submitted by the People's Government of Hunan province and the Ministry of Commerce.

While implementing the plan, the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith for China's relations with Africa should be upheld, according to a circular released by the State Council.

The principles of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits should also be followed.

Practical measures under the framework of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will play a leading role in aligning the two sides' respective development strategies.

Efforts will be made to innovate the Sino-African economic and trade cooperation mechanism and improve the two parties' modern industrial chain and supply chain systems.

More coordinated cooperation will be conducted in trade, industries, finance and culture exchanges so as to advance the high-quality development of Belt and Road Initiative, and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

Among the pilot free trade zones that have been approved to be set up in China, Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone is the only reform and innovation experimental field positioned as the pilot zone for in-depth economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa.

African foods and agricultural products exhibited at the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

In 2023, Hunan's import and export to Africa reached 55.67 billion RMB, with an average annual growth rate of 23.1 percent in the past three years.

Hunan province is urged to speed up the formulation of supporting policies and concrete implementation plans, to push forward the construction and development of the pilot zone in a steady and orderly way.

Building a pilot zone for in-depth China-Africa economic and trade cooperation in China is an important component of the "Trade Promotion Program" put forward by China in 2021.