NAIROBI: China will negotiate and sign a new economic pact with Africa that will get rid of all tariffs on the 53 African states it has diplomatic ties with, it said, a move that could benefit middle-income nations.
The Asian economic giant offers duty-and-quota-free market access to least developed countries (LDCs), including many in Africa, but the new initiative will level the playing field by also offering middle-income countries similar market access.
“China is ready to… welcome quality products from Africa to the Chinese market”, China’s foreign ministry said after a meeting of senior Chinese officials with African foreign ministers in Changsha to review implementation of commitments made during a summit in Beijing last September.