China-Africa entrepreneurs summit calls for deepened cooperation

Senior officials and business people attending the China-Africa Entrepreneurs Summit have called for a deepening of cooperation to ensure mutual development.

The inaugural meeting took place at the African Union headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Tuesday.

It was jointly organised by the Chinese Mission to the AU, the AU Commission and the China Chamber of Commerce to Africa, in cooperation with other partners.

The gathering was held under the theme "Deepening Practical China-Africa Cooperation and Embarking on a New Journey for Development."

It brought together AU leadership, senior Chinese and African officials, members of the Chinese and African diplomatic communities, as well as representatives of the business communities from both sides.

Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie told the gathering that with the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Africa is no longer a future promise but a present reality where business flourishes.

Noting that Africa-China cooperation is built on a foundation of dignity and mutual respect, he called for developing the partnership toward a multi-layered model in which entrepreneurs, innovators, and the private sector become the primary drivers of development.

Participants at the summit called on entrepreneurs from all sectors on both sides to actively engage in exchanges and cooperation, make full use of zero-tariff measures, investment facilitation agreements, and various economic and trade dialogue platforms, and seek new opportunities for cooperation.

Li Qingyong, president of the China Chamber of Commerce to Africa and chief executive officer of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ethiopia, said the chamber remains committed to its mission of being rooted in Africa, serving enterprises, connecting China and Africa, and pursuing shared development, helping Chinese-invested enterprises truly take root in Africa and integrate into local communities.

Li urged entrepreneurs to align business growth with Africa's industrialisation and modernisation while seizing new opportunities in the digital economy, new energy and green development.

Participants at the summit also unveiled the plaque of the China-Africa Entrepreneurs Partnership Alliance, with the AU Commission pledging to coordinate collective efforts to ensure that the outcomes of the summit are followed by concrete actions and measurable results.