UPDATE - China to implement zero tariff policy on 53 African countries

ADDS DETAILS; REVISES DECK, LEDE

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - China will implement zero-tariff measures for the 53 African countries it has diplomatic relations with starting on May 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday said in a congratulatory message to the African Union (AU) during its annual summit.

Beijing will also push forward the negotiation and signing of agreements on economic partnership for shared development and "further expand" access for African exports to China by upgrading the "green channel" and other measures, he said, according to the state-run news agency Xinhua.

The tariff policy would appear to cover almost the entire continent, which has 54 countries.

"The world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century, and the strength of the Global South has been growing remarkably," Xi said. "Over the past year, the AU has kept unity and led African countries in actively promoting the integration process, resolutely safeguarding Africa's legitimate rights and interests, while its international status and influence have continued to rise."

China is committed to keeping world peace, advancing common development, and "promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity," he said.

Xi added that Beijing is ready to cooperate with Africa to carry forward their "historical friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, enhance mutual understanding and affection, and jointly write a new chapter of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era."

The AU is currently holding its annual summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The two-day gathering is expected to review major security crises across Africa, including Sudan, the Sahel region, and Somalia, along with discussions of climate action, economic reform, and institutional strengthening.