At this year's Two Sessions, China has reaffirmed its commitment to high-quality development, with a focus on optimizing its economic structure and improving growth quality.

As China enters a new five-year plan cycle, its push for high-quality development and continued reform is expected to serve as a stabilizing force in an increasingly uncertain global landscape.

What progress has China made in advancing high-quality development? And in which sectors could China's shift toward new quality productive forces create opportunities for Africa?

Charles Onunaiju, Director of the Center for China Studies in Nigeria and Liu Baocheng, Director of the Center of International Business Ethics, University of International Business and Economics, share their views.

A new phase of China's development

Liu Baocheng pointed out that China's focus on high-quality development reflects a structural shift in the country's growth model.

"China has already earned the capability and space to make a change in the economic drivers," Liu said. "Instead of growth by quantity, the focus is now on sustainability, efficiency and economic resilience."

This transformation places greater emphasis on innovation, advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, and green development as China moves further up the global value chain.  

Over the past decades, China has also built strong infrastructure and technological capabilities that support this transition, from modern transportation networks to emerging industries such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, robotics and biotechnology.  

Opportunities for Africa

For Africa, China's evolving economic model could create new openings across several sectors.

Charles Onunaiju said rising household incomes in China will drive demand for a broader range of products.

"Rising income for households means they will require more things," he said, noting that African economies could expand exports of both manufactured goods and agricultural products to the Chinese market.  

China's decision to grant zero-tariff access to exports from African countries with diplomatic ties also offers significant opportunities to expand trade and diversify African economies.  

At the same time, China's industrial upgrading may encourage some medium-scale manufacturing capacity to move abroad, creating potential for Africa to develop new industrial clusters.  

Digital and green cooperation

Experts also highlighted digital economy and green development as two promising areas for deeper China-Africa cooperation.

China's experience in building large e-commerce platforms, digital payment systems and logistics networks could support Africa's growing digital markets and financial inclusion.  

Meanwhile, renewable energy technologies, such as solar, wind and hydropower, offer opportunities to expand energy access while supporting Africa's industrialization in a sustainable way.  

Conditions for success

However, experts stressed that African countries will need to strengthen infrastructure, education, energy supply and regulatory frameworks to fully capture these opportunities.  

Security, policy stability and a strong investment climate are also critical to attracting more Chinese companies to invest and operate in Africa.  

A partnership with growing significance

Both experts emphasized that the China-Africa relationship has evolved beyond a traditional model.

"China-Africa cooperation has reached a stage of strategic partnership rather than a donor-recipient relationship," Liu said, highlighting growing collaboration in development strategies, climate action and global governance.  

With China expanding market access and Africa pursuing industrialization, the partnership could play an increasingly important role in shaping South-South cooperation and a more inclusive global economy.

（This newsletter was generated with the help of AI, drawing on the discussion transcript.）