Africa needs innovative ways to increase exports to China

The newly-launched Expo is therefore a good opportunity for China and Africa to integrate what is workable and how best to harness the existing potential towards a win-win in trade relations. Already, data from various sources indicate that African exports to China have been on an upward trend from a paltry $5 billion in 2012 to over $110 billion in 2014.

A few suggestions would suffice at this stage. China and Africa need progressive economic partnership regimes that can facilitate entry of African products and services into the Chinese market. Such negotiations should transcend bilateral levels and embrace broader regional consensus between the two entities. Key among the action points should be eliminating cumbersome tariffs that have impeded imports from Africa.

Secondly, there is a need to diversify the types of products that China welcomes into its markets from Africa. Besides natural resources, Africa is home to a plethora of other products, including flowers, vegetables and beverages that it could sell to China.

Africa also should aggressively market new sources of comparative advantage, such as tourism, to the Chinese market. The continent has proven popular with the burgeoning Chinese middle class, something that could provide the much-needed shot in the arm to right the wrongs of lopsided trade imbalance.

Finally, Africa should leverage the Forum on China Africa Cooperation to further buoy its exports to China. In August 2018, President Xi pledged $5 billion to support African imports into his country, a move that created impetus on the side of African countries.

Seen from the Belt and Road Initiative lens, China is increasingly opening its borders to the rest of the world. Africa should therefore roll out innovative and sustainable measures to effectively trade with Beijing.

The author is a scholar on China-Africa relations. Twitter@Cavinceworld