From June 12 to 15, 2025, the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade EXPO was grandly held in Changsha, Hunan Province. Dr. Wu Zhong, Director General of FCSSC, attended the opening ceremony and spoke at the China-Africa CEO Dialogue. The theme of this year's EXPO is "China-Africa Cooperation: Pursuing Modernization Together." The event gathered nearly 4,700 Chinese and African enterprises, along with over 30,000 political and business leaders from around the world, marking a further deepening of economic cooperation between China and Africa.
During the opening ceremony on the morning of June 12, key figures including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Ugandan Prime Minister Nabbanja, Libyan Vice President Kong, Kenyan Chief Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister Mudavadi, and Hunan Provincial Party Secretary Shen Xiaoming were present and delivered opening remarks. The ceremony set the tone for a series of discussions aimed at enhancing trade and investment cooperation between China and Africa. Director General Wu Zhong attended the opening ceremony and multiple meetings, engaging in in-depth exchanges with several Chinese and African delegation members, including Dr. Al-Kabe Ogbey, former special senior advisor from Ethiopia, and Dr. Cheng Cheng, head of the Asia region for the African Green Revolution Alliance. Dr. Wu focused on discussing projects and cooperation opportunities in the fields of industry and trade, and conducted on-site visits to local enterprises in Hunan. He emphasized the importance of fully leveraging the strengths of both sides and establishing pragmatic cooperation to drive economic and social development.
On June 13, Director General Wu attended the China-Africa CEO Dialogue as a keynote speaker. In his address, he emphasized that the financial needs of Chinese companies during the "going aboard" process cannot be ignored. Many small and medium-sized enterprises face difficulties in financing due to a lack of collateral, limited bank credit, and the complexities of cross-border capital flows, leading to challengessuch as high financing costs.In light of this, Dr. Wu highlighted the necessity of improving financial policies, expanding financing channels for enterprises, and providing corresponding support. He also introduced the "MicroConnect" model: through digital financial innovation—implementing daily revenue sharing—it not only helps investors obtain real-time returns but also assists SMEs in securing revenue-based financing (RBF) for sustainable development. Dr. Wu finally pointed out that there is enormous potential for developing the "MicroConnect" model in Africa. Currently, only 48% of adults in Africa have bank accounts, highlighting the urgent need for flexible financial solutions, particularly in key sectors like agriculture and retail that dominate the African economy. The "MicroConnect" model can offer customized solutions tailored to the needs of local African brands or, by leveraging Hong Kong and Macao as hubs, attract international capital through the issuance of DROs to support small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa.
