China-Africa expo closes with bumper deals signed

CHANGSHA, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo concluded on Sunday, with bumper deals signed as China and Africa seek to deepen economic cooperation.

A total of 176 projects worth 11.39 billion U.S. dollars were signed at the expo, the organizing committee announced. The two figures were up 45.8 percent and 10.6 percent from the last session in 2023.

By noon on Sunday, more than 200,000 people had visited the expo's main venue in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province, doubling the turnout from the last session. Finalized or tentative deals made at the main site were estimated to total 2.5 billion yuan (about 348 million U.S. dollars).

Tentative deals worth 200 million yuan were signed at a parallel expo on heavy machinery held in the neighboring city of Xiangtan.

For the first time, the expo included dedicated exhibitions on renowned China-Africa cooperation brands, quality African goods, and China-Africa fashion industries.

Nearly 2,100 companies, including 764 from 43 African countries, attended the exhibitions. Chinese and international purchasers totaled 12,000 in number.

During the four-day expo, more than 200 types of African agricultural products were sold online and in supermarkets. Fourteen African countries hosted dedicated economic and trade promotion activities.

The event was co-hosted by the Hunan provincial government and China's Ministry of Commerce, drawing over 4,700 Chinese and African companies, as well as 30,000 participants, to take part in exhibitions and meetings.

China had been Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years by 2024, and the growth of bilateral trade has continued to accelerate in 2025. ■