The inaugural China-Africa Entrepreneurs Summit opened Tuesday at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, with officials and business leaders calling for stronger economic cooperation and more practical partnerships to drive shared development.
Held under the theme “Deepening Practical China-Africa Cooperation and Embarking on a New Journey for Development,” the meeting brought together African Union officials, Chinese representatives, diplomats and private sector leaders from both regions.
The summit was jointly organised by the Chinese Mission to the African Union, the AU Commission and the China Chamber of Commerce to Africa, alongside other partners.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said Africa’s abundant resources and young population position it as a future engine of global growth, but stressed the need to translate that potential into industrial development and jobs.
He called for deeper cooperation between African and Chinese companies, including the creation of integrated value chains. He also highlighted China’s zero-tariff policy for products from 53 African countries as a key opportunity to boost exports.
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“Africa and China have forged their partnership through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and other frameworks,” Youssouf said, urging greater use of existing trade mechanisms to expand economic ties.
Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie said Africa is no longer a continent of future potential but an emerging economic space shaped by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is beginning to open up new commercial opportunities.
He said the China-Africa partnership should increasingly be driven by entrepreneurs, innovators and the private sector.
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“Let this summit be the platform from which we launch a new generation of entrepreneurs,” he said, calling for innovation-led cooperation between Africa and China.
Chinese officials also emphasised expanding trade and investment links. Jiang Feng, head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, said China will implement zero-tariff measures on all tariff lines for products from all African countries with diplomatic ties starting May 1.
He said the policy aims to turn the Chinese market into a major opportunity for African exports and strengthen industrial cooperation across sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, mining, energy and the digital economy.
Li Qingyong, president of the China Chamber of Commerce to Africa, said Chinese firms should align more closely with Africa’s industrialisation goals and deepen their integration into local economies.
He said Chinese-invested companies were committed to “rooted development in Africa” and supporting shared growth through long-term partnerships.
Participants at the summit urged stronger business-to-business cooperation, improved investment facilitation and better use of trade platforms to unlock new opportunities.
A key outcome of the meeting was the launch of the China-Africa Entrepreneurs Partnership Alliance, aimed at strengthening structured cooperation between business communities on both sides.
The African Union Commission said it would work to ensure that commitments from the summit are translated into concrete actions and measurable results, as Africa and China seek to deepen their economic partnership
