What to Expect at 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) 2025 ?
The 1st edition of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (#CAETE) took place in Changsha, Hunan, in June 2019. This Expo is the materialization of the decision aimed to boost trade and investment between China and Africa. It is in line with the spirit of the Beijing Declaration which was arrived at during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (#FOCAC) Summit in 2018.
During the inaugural edition, Rwanda was selected to implement the first Electronic World Trade Platform (#eWTP) in Africa. It is hoped that the #eCommerce platform will contribute to boost trade between China and Africa via pushing #digitalization. It is worth noting that the program received the support of Alibaba, the Chinese eCommerce giant, which is headquartered in the city of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province.
Other than the main event which is scheduled to take place every two years in Changsha, several bilateral events have been held in various African capitals since. Most recently and in preparation for #CAETE2025, events were held in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2024 and in Abuja, Nigeria in November 2024 as part of the CAETE roadshow.
In Kenya, the emphasis was on SME and their integration into the international trade dynamics with China. #SME form the backbone of several Africa economies and, more often than not, they are also run by women entrepreneurs.
In Nigeria, the Chinese side promoted agricultural products and engineering machinery. The China-Africa Green Development Report was also officially released during the event. It is worth noting that Nigeria is the largest country Africa with a population of 225 million and thus represents a large market.
During the previous 3rd edition of the CAETE in Changsha in April 2023, the Expo welcomed 1,700 exhibitors from Africa and China. Some120 deals were signed with a total amount of over USD 10 billion.
At the beginning of 2025, the Chinese Customs released data and showed that the China-Africa trade reached nearly USD 300 billion. However, Africa exports mostly hydrocarbons or minerals to China whereas China exports mostly finished goods to Africa.
Therefore, Africa has been yearning for industrialization and modernization while keeping in line with sustainability. On the other hand, the China has been pushing for ‘high-quality development’ and ‘new productive forces.’
However, it is not clear what it actually means in the context of the China-Africa ties, or how high-quality development of China will marry with the ‘sustainable modernization aspirations’ of Africa. Perhaps, we will get a sense of where the wind is blowing at the upcoming 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (#CAETE2025) is scheduled to take place in Changsha from 12 to 15 June 2025.