The huge Chinese market is now more open for organic agricultural products from Nigeria and other countries of the world as part of measures to expand China’s opening-up to strengthen and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in October 2023.
This was the crux of a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, ahead of the 6th 2023 China International Import Expo (CIIE), also known as Hongqiao International Economic Forum, scheduled to hold between November 5 and 10 in Shanghai with the theme; “working together and opening-up for the future”.
The press conference was organised for journalists and media experts invited from all over world to participate in a programme organised by the China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC) to explore various sectors of China’s economic and social life.
In his remarks, Shangzhe Song from the headquarters of CIIE, noted that China has demonstrated its willingness to give African countries and others opportunities to supply such products to its market to support the developing countries to make substantial profits in the spirit of the South-South Cooperation which is an essential component of BRI.
Speaking to reporters in an interview, Song said: “We need organic agricultural products which will give comparative advantage to African countries. We need cashew, soya beans and other organic agricultural products in the Chinese market.”
He also urged the need for a joint effort to work out the logistics, the framework for the standards and also to streamline the volume that will be imported into China. He noted that with adequate arrangements, large products from Africa could enter the Chinese market, which will also encourage innovation.
Five years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced he decision to hold the CIIE for the very purpose of expanding China’s opening-up and turning its huge market of about 1.4 billion people into enormous opportunities for the world.
According to the Chinese President “today the CIIE has become a source of China’s new development paradigm, a platform for high-standard opening up and a public good for the whole world.”
And to deepen trade and economic cooperation with the rest of the world under the Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese Government has invited numerous countries and international organisations to attend the 10th year anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative to brainstorm on the achievements of the Initiative in connecting the world with infrastructure and investment.