On May 22, 2026, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Miao Deyu attended the opening ceremony of the seminar on 'Zero Tariffs Opening a New Course: A New Journey for the All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era' and delivered remarks.

Miao Deyu said that the full implementation of zero tariffs for the 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China gives tangible expression to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and of pursuing the greater good and shared interests in China's Africa policy put forward by President Xi Jinping, opens a new course for China-Africa cooperation in the new era, injects new momentum into building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, and provides precious stability to a turbulent world. Since the implementation of zero tariffs, positive effects have been steadily released, opening a brand-new window of opportunity for expanding China-Africa trade, especially African exports to China. The two sides should keep working in the same direction to ensure that the dividends of zero tariffs and the fruits of development benefit the Chinese and African peoples; adhere to systemic empowerment to upgrade whole-industrial-chain cooperation between China and Africa and enhance Africa's endogenous development momentum; and uphold universal benefit and inclusiveness to promote the prosperity and revitalization of the Global South and jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Bet, Kenyan Ambassador to China, and representatives of African participants in the special zero-tariff seminar in China delivered speeches, highly commending China's leading role in building an open and inclusive world trading system, and holding that zero tariffs will strongly boost Africa's exports, investment and infrastructure development, promoting Africa and China in jointly pursuing development and prosperity.

The seminar was co-hosted by the MFA Department of African Affairs and the Research Center for a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity. More than 200 people attended, including government officials of China and African countries, African diplomatic envoys to China, and experts and scholars.