Trade Explosion: China-Africa Commerce Through the Decades

In 2000, China-Africa trade stood at roughly US$10 billion. Two decades later, it has multiplied nearly thirty-fold. By 2023, bilateral trade reached about US$282 billion, and in 2024 it climbed further to approximately US$296 billion, cementing China’s position as Africa’s largest trading partner for more than 15 consecutive years. What began as modest commodity exchange has evolved into one of the defining economic relationships of the 21st century.