Kenyan trade lobby hails China-Africa expo as platform to share lessons on growth

NAIROBI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo presents a platform for attracting investments and sharing knowledge that could stimulate Africa's growth, a Kenyan official has said.

Patrick Nyangweso, the chief executive officer of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), a trade lobby, said the expo is significant to African economies amid their quest for new markets, capital flows, and innovations from China to revitalize key sectors like manufacturing, agro-processing, and digital economy.

The third edition of the expo, under the theme "Common Development for a Shared Future," will run from June 29 to July 2 in central China's Hunan Province. First launched in 2019, it is a major platform for strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries.

"The expo will be an opportunity for us to learn about product development as Kenyan businesses," Nyangweso told Xinhua during an interview on the sidelines of a promotional forum for the expo held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on May 11.

In attendance at the forum is a high-profile delegation from Yiyang City in Hunan Province. Yang Zhihua, the deputy mayor of Yiyang, said the expo, which will feature seminars, matchmaking negotiations, and outdoor commodity pavilions, will culminate with the release of the inaugural China-Africa trade index.

The expo will be an opportunity for Kenyan entrepreneurs to network with their Chinese counterparts, and exchange ideas and best practices that are crucial to fueling the growth of local start-ups, Nyangweso said.

Nyangweso, who will lead a group of Kenyan entrepreneurs to the expo, said African countries will acquire knowledge on establishing industrial parks, cottage industries, and packaging of products to meet international standards.

In addition, the expo presents an opportunity for Kenya and other African countries to gain insight into digitizing their businesses, upgrading workforce skills, and accelerating value addition to boost the competitiveness of agricultural products in the overseas markets, Nyangweso added.

He also disclosed that the KNCCI plans to open an office in Hunan Province this year to facilitate interaction between its members with Chinese entrepreneurs and investors.