The fifth China-Africa Think Tanks Forum opened on Friday in Yiwu City of east China's Zhejiang Province, focusing on China-Africa industrial cooperation.
The two-day event, organized by Zhejiang Normal University and Yiwu city government, has attracted more than 350 government officials, academics and business people from China and over 40 African countries.
Trade with China accounts for 20 percent of the total trade volume in Ethiopia, said Arkebe Oqubay Metiku, economic adviser to Ethiopia's prime minister. "Thanks to China's investment, Ethiopia now has the first electrified railway system in Africa."
In late 2015, China promised 60 billion U.S. dollars in funding to promote China-Africa cooperation and boost the development of African countries.
"More efforts will be directed in Africa in terms of public health, agricultural modernization, peace and security," Lin Songtian, head of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' African Affairs Department, said at the forum.
Yiwu is the world's largest wholesale market for small consumer goods. The city attracts nearly 500,000 foreign buyers every year, including 80,000 from Africa.
