Xinhua Agency, Changsha, June 25 Title: The "Rise of Central China" helps China's inland provinces build highlands for economic and trade cooperation with Africa

Xinhua Agency reporter

In the early morning, fishermen in Shimoni Town, Quarale County, Kenya caught wild anchovies at sea. After the fishing boat returned to Hong Kong that morning, the anchovies were sent to the nearby Chinese food factory built by a Chinese company in the town; the workers cleaned, processed, dried and picked, packed and loaded the qualified dried fish on board.

After 21 days of sea sailing, these dried fish from Kenya were sent to the factory of Hunan Jinzi Food Group Co., Ltd. and processed into delicious snacks. They not only appeared on the shelves of Chinese supermarkets, but also exported to Japan, France and other countries around the world. More than 30 countries and regions.

Fishermen fish along Kenya's eastern coast. In June 2023, China's first imported Kenyan wild anchovy products were unveiled at the 3rd China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. Photo by Xinhua Agency reporter Wang Guansen

After Kenya's wild aquatic products were allowed to be exported to China in 2022, Hunan Jinzai Food Group Co., Ltd. became one of the importers.

"The annual sales of Jinji deep-sea fish have exceeded 1 billion yuan, and tens of thousands of tons of raw fish need to be imported every year." Zhou Jinsong, chairman of the company, said that relying on Hunan's good policy of building a pioneer zone for in-depth economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa, Kenya's good sea environment and rich anchovy resources, the company has invested in establishing a dried anchovy processing plant in Kenya.

He said that currently the company not only assists the Kenyan government in conducting fishing research and improving the fishing capacity of local fishermen, but also helps local farmers transform into industrial skilled workers and drive employment.

Hunan is located in central China. As a pioneer area for in-depth economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa, Hunan is one of the most active provinces in China's economic and trade cooperation with Africa, and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo has been settled here for a long time.

Hunan Jinzi Food Group Co., Ltd. has helped Kenya's blue economy develop and has become a vivid practice for Hunan to expand opening up to the outside world and implement the strategy of the rise of central China. Data shows that in the past three years, Hunan's trade with Africa has grown at an average annual rate of 23.1%.

At the symposium on promoting the rise of the central region in the new era held in Changsha in March this year, it was proposed to coordinate the promotion of deep-level reform and high-level opening up and continue to create a more competitive inland open highland; in May, the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Commerce was at The press conference held by the State Council Information Office stated that the next step will be to actively support the six central provinces in accelerating the construction of open platforms such as the pioneer zone for in-depth economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa to promote high-quality development.

Xu Xiangping, president of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Research Association of Hunan Province, said that now under the strategy of the rise of central China, the six central provinces that are not border or sea continue to promote institutional innovation and practical innovation in economic and trade cooperation with Africa, providing important support for the quality improvement and upgrading of China-Africa practical cooperation in the new era.

As a new window for economic and trade cooperation with Africa, the China-Africa Economic and Trade Headquarters Building, which was officially launched on June 13, is located in the Changsha Economic and Technological Development Zone, Changsha Area, Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone. It is another new measure taken by Hunan in implementing the strategy of the rise of central China. The project integrates office, display, communication and other functions, with a total area of over 100,000 square meters.

At the 3rd China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, exhibitors introduced Ethiopian coffee (photo taken on June 29, 2023). Photo by Xinhua Agency reporter Sun Ruibo

Walking into the China-Africa Economic and Trade Headquarters Building, in the "African Good Things" live broadcast room, anchors from China and Africa are promoting African products such as purple tea and flavors; in the multi-functional negotiation area, companies planning to settle in and intending to settle in are working with the platform. Institutions negotiate more possibilities for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.

Shen Yumou, director of the Hunan Province Department of Commerce, said that the Hunan Free Trade Zone shoulders the strategic task of building a demonstration highland for local cooperation with Africa. "As Hunan and Africa continue to consolidate the foundation of cooperation based on complementary advantages and tap market potential, the pioneer zone for in-depth economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa is becoming an important opening-up platform for Hunan to serve the country's economic development strategy."

Since its approval in April this year, the first phase of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Headquarters Building project has attracted more than 60 enterprises and business associations for economic and trade cooperation with Africa, of which more than 30 have settled in, covering communication multimedia, technology research and development, engineering construction, and international areas such as exchanges and trade incubation.

Hubei, which is separated from Hunan by a lake, has also continued to deepen economic and trade cooperation with African countries in recent years. A number of construction companies in Hubei, such as Gezhouba, China Construction Third Engineering Bureau, and China Railway Bridge Bureau, have entered Africa and undertaken many engineering projects in the fields of energy and power, transportation, municipal housing construction, information and communication, metallurgical smelting, etc.

Starting from Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and driving north for about 88 kilometers along the T2 Highway, the main traffic artery connecting the north and south, there are modern standard factories standing tall and straight and spacious roads crisscrossing. This is Jiangxi's first overseas economic and trade cooperation zone-Zambia Jiangxi Economic Cooperation Zone that took five years to build.

Xu Jianfeng, general manager of the cooperation zone, said that since the park was unveiled in October last year, 10 companies have settled in one after another. The number of local residents working here is increasing day by day, and the surrounding areas are also becoming lively. In the future, it will continue to move towards a new ecological Urban area integrating industry, trade, logistics, and comprehensive services, and complete leisure and entertainment, medical education, and living supporting facilities.

From the Anhui Chamber of Commerce Building that rose from the ground in Angola, to the "Made in Henan" that created many of the largest in West Africa, the six central provinces once known as the "open depressions" have continued to smooth open channels, upgrade open platforms, and optimize the open environment. A new highland open to Africa is taking shape.

African young Nick is studying ecological governance in China. Photo by Xinhua Agency reporter Chen Sihan

Xu Xiangping said that in recent years, under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, talent cooperation between China and Africa has also deepened day by day, and the central region has also continued to help Africa cultivate more talents.

On the 21st of this month, students from the radio and television operation and management capacity building seminar for English-speaking African countries hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China and hosted by Hunan Foreign Trade Vocational College watched a variety show being popular in China live in Changsha.

The 14-day class lasts. In addition to study and observation, 24 media practitioners from African countries from Eritrea, Lesotho, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Uganda and Tanzania will discuss management experience in radio and television operations with Hunan industry experts.

"I am very happy to be able to observe and learn the advanced technologies of China's radio and television industry on-site." Cristair Lebrasse, senior news editor from the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, cherishes the opportunity to visit China. She looks forward to bringing the lessons learned in China back to Africa to help develop her hometown. (Reporters: Zhang Yujie, Li Zhuoqun, Peng Lijun, Lin Jianjie, Ju Yinhe)