The 2026 Africa Day Cultural Festival was held on May 23 in Beijing's Chaoyang Park, featuring country pavilions, cultural performances, artisanal workshops and a variety of tourism and culinary showcases.

This year's Africa Day celebrations carry particular historical significance as 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and African countries.

The event, held just weeks after China granted zero-tariff access to all African nations with diplomatic ties, marked a moment of synergy between economic cooperation and people-to-people exchange.

"We believe events like this deepen the human bonds that sustain our partnership and complement new initiatives such as the zero-tariff measures now in force," said Martin Mpana, dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in China and Cameroon's ambassador to China.

Historic market opening: Zero tariffs for all

With the unprecedented shift in China-Africa trade policy in decades, China-Africa relations are becoming increasingly closer and more substantive through a shared commitment to mutual engagement and common development.

Starting May 1 this year, China extended zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries with diplomatic ties, becoming the world's first major economy to implement unilateral, comprehensive tariff-free access for the entire continent.

This landmark move builds on a December 2024 policy that applied only to the 33 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Africa. The expansion adds 20 additional economies, including South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Kenya, to the preferential framework.

The policy took effect on May 1, and within hours, the effects were felt across multiple Chinese ports.

In Shenzhen, 24 tonnes of fresh apples from South Africa became the first batch to clear customs at Shenzhen Bay checkpoint, cutting importers approximately 20,000 yuan ($2,943) per container in tariffs alone, a 17% reduction in costs.

Meanwhile, a shipment of 516 tonnes of oranges from Egypt at Shanghai's Waigaoqiao port area became one of the city's first imports under the new zero-tariff policy. Zhang Panjun, the customs affairs manager, said the company saved around 320,000 yuan ($47,095) in tariffs on this single shipment.

Previously, tariffs ranged from 10% on apples imported from South Africa, 8% to 22% on cocoa from Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, and up to 30% on Kenyan coffee. With those barriers removed, African products are now more competitive on Chinese shelves while the consumers could take them home at more affordable prices.

In 2025, Chinese companies' direct investment across all sectors in Africa reached $3.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of more than 40%. The zero-tariff policy is expected to further expand growth, with a broader package of coordinated measures aimed at supporting the high-quality development of China-Africa cooperation.

Expanded sanitary and phytosanitary agreements have widen the green channels for African agricultural products entering the Chinese market, as efforts to ease non-tariff barriers in trade, while digitalized customs procedures and regulatory innovations have streamlined logistics, speeding up the journey from farms to ports and ultimately to consumers.

A dialogue between hearts

While the economy tells one story, the China-Africa friendship is also about hearts connecting. As 2026 unfolds as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, ties are deepening from government cooperation to closer bonds between ordinary people.

At the Africa Day Cultural Festival, visitors are learning African drumming, trying their hand at traditional hair braiding and dancing to the rhythms of indigenous African music. Through these shared experiences, Chinese people are embracing the unique charm and traditions from across the ocean.

The celebration is just one of nearly 600 activities that China and Africa are jointly hosting throughout the Year of People-to-People Exchanges. 

The Chinese Film Week opened on April 29 in Rabat, Morocco's capital, drawing nearly 340 guests with screenings of recent Chinese word-of-mouth hits such as Full River Red and YOLO. In Beijing, the Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire opened its doors to the public for a lively showcase of West African heritage, inviting Chinese visitors to immerse themselves in the region's distinctive cuisine, music, artistry and customs.

The partnership has even expanded beyond cultural exchanges to include youth exchanges and talent cultivation.

Initiatives such as the China-Africa Universities 100 Cooperation Plan have brought together 114 higher education institutions from both sides, fostering joint research and student exchanges. 

Meanwhile, the establishment of 17 Luban Workshops across 15 African countries has trained more than 10,000 skilled professionals, providing strong intellectual and technical support for Africa's development.

"The people of China and Africa are growing ever closer," said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, noting that as China-Africa cooperation continues to broaden in scope, mutual learning and exchanges between civilizations have become a powerful driving force behind.