The China-Africa enterprise business matchmaking event. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

Recently, a business matchmaking event for Chinese and African enterprises was held in Hunan Xiangjiang New Area. More than 30 enterprises from 17 African countries participated in the event, bringing over a thousand products such as coffee, cocoa, natural essential oils, handicrafts, and specialty agricultural products. Over 40 Chinese purchasing enterprises attended the event for negotiations, with multiple cooperation orders reached on the spot.

The African enterprises that came to Hunan this time covered various fields such as agricultural products and processed foods, daily chemicals and skincare, consumer goods, and industrial products, bringing high-quality specialty items like coffee, cocoa, sesame, soybeans, honey, shea butter, natural essential oils, handmade jewelry, and electronic products. The matchmaking event featured on-site enterprise presentations and one-on-one negotiation sessions, where representatives from Chinese and African enterprises engaged in in-depth exchanges on product procurement, market expansion, and brand cooperation, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Starting from this May, China has implemented a zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries with diplomatic relations, continuously releasing trade benefits for Africa. This matchmaking event is another practical measure by Hunan to leverage the benefits of the zero-tariff policy to deepen cooperation with small and medium-sized African enterprises. Attending companies such as Hunan Red Star Group and Changsha Leqiao Company remarked that this event built an efficient matchmaking platform for Chinese and African small and medium-sized enterprises. It not only helped Hunan businesses get closer to African high-quality product resources, but also opened new channels for African products to enter the Hunan market and for Hunan's competitive products to reach Africa. Leveraging the zero-tariff policy and supporting services, multiple enterprises signed contracts on-site during the event, forging substantial partnerships.

As the permanent host of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, Hunan's import and export volume with Africa reached 58 billion CNY in 2025, ranking among the top in the central and western regions of China. In recent years, Hunan has leveraged its "Hundred Shops, Thousand Products" platform to source African goods and expand domestic distribution channels, bringing more African specialty products to the Chinese market. Next, the Xiangjiang New Area will continue to build on the outcomes of the matchmaking, leveraging advantages in logistics and customs clearance services to further strengthen bilateral economic and trade collaboration between Hunan and Africa.

责编：冯宇轩

一审：冯宇轩

二审：黄思婷

三审：秦慧英

来源：湖南日报·新湖南客户端