A symposium gathering Africans in Guangzhou was held on June 18 to carry out discussions around Sino-African trade and cooperation, as well as to showcase the African presence at the ongoing 127th session of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair.

Liu Jisen, executive president of the Institute for African Studies of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, said that the Canton Fair has been a bridge for Sino-African trade for more than 60 years.

Doucoure Abdoulaye, president of the Mali-China Business Council, said that the number of purchasers from Africa participating in the Canton Fair has increased every year. “With the help of the event, purchasers from Africa have established close relationships with suppliers and they can directly send their orders to suppliers after the fair, which is mutually beneficial for both sides," added Abdoulaye.

Guangzhou Light Holdings Limited, which has been participating in the Canton Fair since 1957 when it was first held, started to carry out trade with African countries in the 1960s.

"The company's trade volume to African countries has gained great momentum in development since the reform and opening-up. We have established a complete marketing network, accumulating an overall order of more than $5 billion and gaining a lot of fans in Africa," said Zhu Puzhen, general manager of Guangzhou Light Holdings Limited.

Doucoure Abdoulaye, president of the Mali-China Business Council, delievers a speech during the symposium. [Photo by Wang Yan/Guangzhou Daily]