The Symposium of African Experts in China was held on Nov 4 in Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang province, with a number of online participants.
During the event, officials from the Jinhua bureau of commerce introduced the city's open economy, including the Jinhua Free Trade Zone, the construction plan for the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and the new trade model with Africa.
Some experts and economists specializing in China-Africa cooperation also gave speeches on trade structure, barter trade, and financial services, which are of great value to future cooperation between Jinhua and Africa, according to organizers.
Jinhua has been leading Sino-Africa cooperation and exchanges in China, especially in small commodity trade and culture.
Jinhua has so far established trade exchanges with 59 African countries and regions. In 2021, Jinhua's exports to Africa totaled 84.57 billion yuan ($11.67 billion), accounting for 37.5 percent of Zhejiang province's total exports and 8.8 percent of the country's total exports to Africa.
Jinhua has also been playing an important role in academic cooperation with Africa.
Zhejiang Normal University has long been engaged in cultural and educational exchanges with Africa. The African Institute of Zhejiang Normal University is the first comprehensive African research institute among domestic universities, with nearly 1,000 African students studying at the school.
The China-Africa Think Tank Forum hosted by Zhejiang Normal University was incorporated into the framework of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, making it a typical example of China-Africa people-to-people exchanges, as well as the predecessor and prototype of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Forum and Cultural Cooperation and Exchange Week.
Since the establishment of an overseas branch in Rwanda in 2017, Jinhua Vocational and Technical College has carried out vocational training for nearly 5,000 people in the fields of electronic information and food processing. Yiwu Vocational and Technical College of Industry and Commerce has recruited more than 3,000 African students from more than 40 countries.
