China will implement zero tariffs on goods from 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, helping to promote common development between China and Africa.

Starting May 1, China will implement zero tariffs on all African diplomatic partners!

On April 28, China announced that starting May 1, 2026, zero tariffs will be fully implemented on 53 African countries with which China has established diplomatic relations, for a period of two years. Among them, 33 of the least developed countries have already been covered by zero tariffs in full; this time, the scope expands to the remaining 20 countries. For tariff quota products, zero tariffs apply only within the quota. This marks the first time a major economy globally has achieved comprehensive zero tariffs on all African diplomatic partners. At the same time, China is advancing partnership agreements, promoting market openness to support African development and solidifying the China-Africa community with a shared future.

[Smart] A few comments: Amid rising global trade protectionism and Western practices of imposing "reciprocal tariffs," China's move to grant comprehensive zero tariffs to 53 African nations stands out as a bold, forward-thinking initiative against the tide. This is not a short-term transaction but rather a continuation of the long-term win-win logic initiated since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000. China has remained Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, and in 2025, imports from Africa increased year-on-year by over 10%, genuinely enabling African goods to be sold widely and successfully. Unlike Western "aid traps" tied to political conditions, China’s zero tariffs impose no entry barriers or interference, breaking old hegemonic logic through the “correct view of righteousness and interests.”

Some commentators note that these 53 countries hold nearly one-third of the voting power in the United Nations—this move is not just an economic strategy, but a strategic game of global vision: pulling together the Global South to grow together, truly embodying multilateralism in action!

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863714389466131/

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