As 2025 draws to a close, China-Africa relations stand at a pivotal moment marked by historic milestones, expanding cooperation, and growing resilience amid global uncertainty.

This year not only commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), but also witnesses transformative policy shifts that are reshaping trade, digital development, green growth, and people-to-people exchanges.

In a special year-end discussion, Professor Liu Baocheng, Director of the Center for International Business Ethics at the University of International Business and Economics, and Charles Onunaiju, Director of the Center for China Studies in Nigeria, reflect on how the partnership has evolved and what lies ahead.

A partnership that has deepened and diversified

Professor Liu described China-Africa relations in 2025 as "deepening, more diversified, more strategically balanced, and more forward-looking."

"The relationship has evolved from primarily project-based economic ties toward more institutionalized cooperation," Professor Liu noted, highlighting stronger engagement in policy dialogue, capacity building, green growth, and the shaping of digital ecosystems.

Despite global economic headwinds, China-Africa cooperation has continued to expand across economic, technological, cultural, and governance domains. The growing alignment between China's development experience and Africa's long-term priorities has given the partnership greater strategic depth.

Zero-tariff policy: A game changer

One of the most consequential milestones of 2025 was China's decision to extend zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries, a policy that has now taken full effect.

Charles Onunaiju described the move as "one of the most significant trade policy decisions in China-Africa relations in decades."

"This policy will fundamentally reshape the structure of African economies," he said. "It opens the Chinese market to a wide range of African products beyond oil and minerals, particularly agricultural and processed goods."

According to Charles, the policy not only boosts African exports and foreign exchange earnings, but also strengthens the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by encouraging value-added production and regional integration.

For China, expanded trade with Africa has helped offset global trade frictions and reinforced economic complementarities at a time of rising protectionism elsewhere.

FOCAC at 25: From dialogue to delivery

Reflecting on the 25th anniversary of FOCAC, Professor Liu emphasized its role in transforming China-Africa engagement from distant cooperation into a structured, trust-based partnership.

"FOCAC has really brought people together to listen to each other with respect," he said. "It provides mechanisms to track outcomes, evaluate progress, and jointly address challenges."

Over the years, FOCAC has helped institutionalize cooperation in infrastructure, industrialization, agriculture, human resource development, and financing. Capacity building, Professor Liu stressed, remains one of its most enduring contributions.

Digital leapfrogging

Digital cooperation accelerated sharply in 2025, with Chinese companies supporting 5G networks, fiber-optic backbones, data centers, smart cities, and cloud platforms across Africa.

Professor Liu underscored China's belief that technology must serve development:

"China does not want Africa to miss the chance for its own leapfrog in digital programs," he said. "Digital technology should be valued by how it benefits people, not by how it is used for dominance."

Green cooperation in practice

Green development has become a defining feature of China-Africa cooperation. In Nigeria, Charles highlighted several emblematic projects completed or advanced in 2025.

"Every major project now takes environmental protection into account," he said, citing the new ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja, water projects, road construction, and the Lekki Deep Sea Port, now Nigeria's second-largest port.

These projects, Charles emphasized, reflect a growing commitment to sustainability, ecosystem protection, and long-term community benefits.

Looking ahead to 2026

With 2026 designated as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Professor Liu expects cooperation to deepen further.

"We will see stronger vocational and digital skills training, more joint research, and more practical 'small and beautiful' projects," he said, emphasizing the importance of "training the trainers" to ensure sustainability.

Tourism, cultural exchange, visa facilitation, and entrepreneurship, particularly in green and digital sectors, are expected to play a growing role in strengthening mutual understanding.

Charles highlighted the power of African products gaining more visibility in China.

"Seeing Rwandan coffee, Kenyan flowers, Zambian honey, and African agricultural products in China is a powerful sign," he said. "It shows Africa moving beyond monocultural economies toward diversification."