China’s real interest in Africa

Chinese Premier highlights strengthening supply chains and industrial integration with Africa, aiming at mutual economic growth and supporting African small and medium-sized enterprises.

China seeks to strengthen supply chain ties and promote industrial integration with Africa, aiming at mutual benefits and development, Premier Li Qiang told about 1,000 business leaders on Friday (6).

According to the South China Morning Post, Li also pledged support for African small and medium-sized enterprises, stressing the importance of helping the continent’s industries achieve “self-sustaining and resilient” growth. He highlighted the great complementarity between Chinese and African industries during his speech at a China-Africa cooperation conference in the Chinese capital.

“By coordinating and connecting our industrial chains, we can turn our resources into an engine for development,” Li said.

Li’s speech came at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and coincided with initiatives announced by President Xi Jinping the previous day. Among the proposals are a plan to create “industrial cooperation growth clusters” with Africa and work together with the continent to “embrace the latest technological revolution.”

Beijing’s efforts come at a time of growing competition between China and the United States in global supply chains and industries. In the 2025-2027 action plan, Chinese and African leaders said they would “keep global supply chains stable, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and avoid supply disruptions and barriers.”

With China’s demand for raw materials soaring, the country has become a major buyer and investor in Africa’s vast deposits of essential minerals. Currently, 72 percent of Africa’s cobalt exports go to China, as do 28 percent of its graphite exports and 58 percent of its manganese exports, which are crucial for the production of electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems.

According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, China’s exports to Africa mainly include electromechanical products, consumer goods and textiles. In the first seven months of the year, China’s exports to Africa fell 3 percent year-on-year, but imports from Africa to China increased 12.5 percent, according to data from Chinese customs.

Li Qiang pointed out that Chinese companies have invested about US$130 billion and established more than 5,000 enterprises in Africa. He stressed that the cooperation structure between the two sides has been diversified, and that China is expanding its imports from Africa.

Li reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to speeding up the signing of economic partnership framework agreements with African countries, as well as ensuring greater access to the Chinese market for African agricultural and “high-quality” products. He encouraged business communities on both sides to have more confidence in expanding their operations in the Chinese and African markets, highlighting the continuous growth of the two economies and the irreversible trend of economic globalization.

Li also encouraged Chinese companies to invest more in infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, medical services and education on the African continent.