The third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo kicked off Thursday in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province. The expo welcomes more "Made in Africa" products into China and aims to boost business links between the two sides.

Themed "Common Development for a Shared Future," the four-day event will be attended by representatives from 53 African countries and multiple international organizations.

The number of exhibitors reached 1,500, up 70 percent from the previous expo. A myriad of African products will be on display, from Kenyan roses to Egyptian essence, as traders from those countries use the expo to explore the vast Chinese market.

This year's event is expected to be more influential than previous ones as it will cover a wider range of topics. For the first time in the expo's history, forums and seminars will be held on traditional Chinese medicine cooperation, women's dialogue and professional education.

As part of the expo, a forum on sanitary and phytosanitary cooperation is scheduled for Thursday, and it is expected to facilitate African exports of agricultural food products to China.

The guest countries of honor at the expo are Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zambia.

First launched in 2019, the expo has become a major platform for strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries.

It is the third time the expo takes place in Hunan, one of the most active provinces in terms of economic and trade ties with Africa and a trailblazer in China-Africa cooperation.

China is Africa's largest trading partner and its fourth-biggest source of investment. 

Official data showed that bilateral trade between China and Africa stood at $282 billion in 2022. In the first four months of the year, China's new direct investment in Africa reached $1.38 billion, up 24 percent year on year.