Belt and Road beefs up Africa's demand for transport equipment

Thanks to projects related to the Belt and Road Initiative, China's export of transport-related equipment to Africa more than doubled year-on-year in the first half of 2017, the Ministry of Commerce said.

China's export of ship, train and aerospace vehicle parts to Africa rose 200 percent, 161 percent and 252 percent respectively year-on-year from January to June.

The export of mechanical and electrical products, light textile products and electronic technological products also saw a marked increase.

China's imports from Africa in the first half of this year saw increases in both quantity and price. The value of the import of mechanical and electrical products, chemical products and agricultural products rose 22 percent, 3.5 percent and 5 percent respectively. The value of the import of fruit and coffee increased 151 percent and 77 percent respectively.

According Gao Feng, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, the China-Africa trade volume in the first half of this year was $85.3 billion, up 19 percent year-on-year, reversing a negative trend since 2015.