China Offers Zero-Tariff Access to All African Goods, President Xi Announces

In a landmark announcement indicating China’s deepening economic engagement with the African continent, President Xi Jinping declared that China is ready to grant zero-tariff treatment on 100 percent of goods from all African countries maintaining diplomatic ties with Beijing. The move, Xi said, will be formalized through the signing of economic partnership agreements designed to foster shared growth and common development.

Speaking at the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in the historic South Korean city of Gyeongju, President Xi reaffirmed China’s vision of building an “inclusive and open Asia-Pacific economy for all” and a more balanced and equitable global trading system.

“China has already granted zero-tariff treatment to 100% of goods from the least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations,” Xi said.

“We are ready to extend this policy to all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China through the signing of economic partnership agreements for shared development.”

The pledge represents a major step forward in China’s broader South–South cooperation agenda and could dramatically expand African countries’ access to the world’s second-largest market. Economists say the initiative may reshape trade patterns, stimulate industrialization, and reinforce China’s position as Africa’s most significant bilateral trading partner.

Five Proposals for a More Inclusive Global Economy

In his speech, Xi outlined five key proposals to guide Asia-Pacific and global economic recovery amid mounting geopolitical tensions and economic fragmentation. He urged APEC members to:

1. Safeguard the multilateral trading system — by strengthening the WTO’s authority and ensuring reforms uphold fairness, non-discrimination, and developing countries’ interests.

2. Build an open regional economic environment — through deeper trade liberalization, financial cooperation, and alignment of frameworks such as RCEP and CPTPP to accelerate the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

3. Ensure stable and resilient industrial and supply chains — by enhancing regional connectivity and resisting protectionist tendencies.

4. Advance digital and green transformation of trade — via cooperation in paperless trade, smart customs, clean energy, and green industries.

5. Promote universally beneficial and inclusive development — by addressing global imbalances and supporting modernization in developing countries through initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

“We should adhere to a people-centered development philosophy, focus on imbalances in development, and foster economic globalization that is more inclusive, sustainable, and beneficial to all peoples,” Xi said.

China’s Expanding Global Role

Xi highlighted that China remains committed to opening up and has already achieved significant milestones: ranking as the world’s largest trader in goods and the second-largest in services over the past five years. The country has attracted more than $700 billion in foreign investment during that period, while its outbound investment has grown by over five percent annually.

Beijing has also shortened its negative list for foreign investment, expanded visa-free entry to more countries, and aligned its 22 pilot free trade zones with high-standard international economic rules.

“China’s door to the world will not close; it will only open wider and wider,” Xi declared.

“We will deepen reform comprehensively and create new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific and the world through the latest achievements of Chinese modernization.”

Implications for Africa

For Africa, the proposed zero-tariff access could have far-reaching implications. Many African economies still rely heavily on commodity exports, and China’s vast market could provide a vital outlet for agricultural and manufactured goods alike. The policy aligns with Beijing’s long-standing Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) commitments to enhance trade, investment, and infrastructure development across the continent.

Trade analysts believe the new framework will also complement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by encouraging value addition and industrial diversification. It further cements China’s image as a development partner rather than merely a trade partner, offering a model distinct from traditional Western aid and investment frameworks.

A Call for Shared Prosperity

Xi’s remarks come amid growing calls for reforming global economic governance and promoting a fairer globalization process. He urged leaders to “jointly promote inclusive and mutually beneficial development,” emphasizing solidarity and shared prosperity over competition and division.“The rougher the seas, the more we must pull together,” Xi said. “We should stay true to APEC’s founding mission—to promote economic growth and improve people’s lives—so that everyone shares opportunities and emerges a winner.”

As APEC members deliberated on strategies for sustainable recovery, Xi’s message underscored China’s ambition to shape the future of global trade and development, not only in Asia but across the developing world.