The 15th Meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum opened on November 6 in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, drawing approximately 300 scholars, officials, and delegates to chart a path for cooperative development under the theme “Openness, Cooperation, Mutual Learning and Shared Development.”
At the opening ceremony, Chinese and African delegates unveiled two key documents: the Think Tank Action Declaration on China-Africa Cooperation to Advance Modernization in the Global South and the China-Africa Consensus on Mutual Learning Between Civilizations, aimed at strengthening shared governance insights.
Forum discussions focused heavily on translating recent policy milestones into economic gains, particularly following China’s rollout of zero-tariff treatment for qualifying African nations. Officials noted that these trade adjustments helped drive a 21.6 percent year-on-year increase in Chinese imports from Africa between May and September.
Speakers emphasized that sustainable growth relies on respecting diverse development paths and deepening academic and institutional collaboration. Balew Demissie of Ethiopia’s Policy Studies Institute highlighted that Africa must pursue an independent path aligned with Agenda 2063 rather than adopting a single model.
The two-day conference features multiple plenary sessions and parallel forums exploring industrial supply chain integration, digital transformation, and the Four Major Global Initiatives, alongside institutional partnership agreements signed with academic centers from South Africa and Gabon.