This photo taken on Aug. 29, 2024 shows the logo of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) near China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China. The FOCAC summit is scheduled to take place in Beijing from Sept. 4 to 6. Photo: Xinhua

Simplified trade rules and "green lanes" will enable more high-value African goods to enter Chinese market, African experts said. The comments came during the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) being held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday.

FOCAC outcomes could be viewed through the lens of trade, finance, and people-to-people exchange. Given the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)'s alignment with Africa's development goals, trade and infrastructure are likely to be key themes, Sena Voncujovi, an Africa-China relations analyst from Ghana at Development Reimagined told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Voncujovi noted that minerals and other raw materials are the main African products exported to China. "However, through 'green lanes' as well as more simplified trade rules of origin and phytosanitary arrangements, I expect to see more and higher-value African goods making their way into China," he added.

"Since the 8th FOCAC, China has implemented a set of measures to strengthen agricultural trade with Africa. This year's FOCAC may introduce an expanded 'green lanes' initiative, further streamlining trade and enhancing bilateral cooperation," Voncujovi said.

A dozen of new African agricultural products from over 10 countries have benefited from the streamlined "green lanes" access to enter Chinese market, starting from the 8th FOCAC, he said.

China's total imports from Africa have surpassed $300-billion mark, which was set at the previous FOCAC meeting, Voncujovi added.

Rugare Mukanganga, a data and economic analyst at Development Reimagined, told the Global Times that it is anticipated that China will be committed to supporting the key priorities, including Africa's goal to boost manufacturing and advancing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),  thus aiding the continent's journey toward realizing Agenda 2063.

Mukanganga said that Zimbabwe, his homeland, could learn from China as they face similar development paths. "We share similar development experiences with China across different areas, meaning that our Chinese counterparts can relate to our ambitions and how we plan to achieve them," he said.

FOCAC stands as a testament to the long-term, mutually beneficial relationship between Africa and China, the experts said.

"Through principles including non-interference in domestic affairs, China-Africa cooperation presents a non-coercive model, empowering African countries to chart their own course," Mukanganga noted.

This forum will continue to enhance the scope and depth of engagement. "As African countries learn to collaborate more and act on shared visions, the quality of outcomes will improve - both in Africa's engagement with China as well as other global partners. This is where I see the African Union and the continent's financial institutions playing a leading role in pushing forward and helping realise shared goals on the continent," Voncujovi said.

It is also quite clear that Africa and China clearly share a vision for global structural reform, challenging the current "status quo" that often overlooks the needs of low and middle-income countries, Voncujovi added.

From December 2021 to July 2024, China's total imports from Africa reached $305.9 billion, surpassing the target ahead of schedule, according to data released by China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 15 years in a row. "We will make China-Africa economic integration and development more interconnected and share the benefits," a spokesperson from China's Foreign Ministry said.