Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 29 (Reporter Chen Weiwei) The 2024 version of the Blue Book of the "China-Africa Countries Belt and Road Development Report" was released on the 29th. According to the report, China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, and the proportion of China-Africa trade in Africa's total foreign trade has steadily increased.

  The Office of the Leading Group for Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments and units, have researched and compiled the 2024 version of the Blue Book of the China-Africa Countries Belt and Road Development Report. The report aims to systematically review the development results of China-Africa cooperation with African countries in the Belt and Road Initiative, summarize the important enlightenment of China-Africa cooperation, and look forward to the bright future of China-Africa practical cooperation.

  Xu Jianping, director of the Department of Regional Opening up of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a special press conference held on the same day that in terms of the docking of economic and trade rules, as of the end of June this year, China had implemented zero tariffs on 98 percent of the products originating in 27 African least developed countries, signed bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements with 34 African countries, and signed double taxation avoidance agreements with 21 African countries.

  Xu Jianping introduced that with the support and guarantee of the "soft connectivity" of China-Africa economic and trade rules, the trade volume between China and Africa will reach 282.1 billion US dollars in 2023, refreshing the historical peak for the second consecutive year. By the end of 2023, China's stock of direct investment in Africa exceeded US$40 billion; In 2024, China-Africa trade and investment will continue to maintain a steady development trend, fully demonstrating the strong vitality and resilience of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. (Reprinted from China Economic Net, article address: 中国连续15年稳居非洲第一大贸易伙伴国地位 _中国经济网——国家经济门户 (ce.cn)