On November 4, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso Minister of International Cooperation and the Promotion of Public-Private Partnership of the Republic of the Congo, , signed the Early Harvest Arrangement for the Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Development between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of the Congo in Shanghai.

The signing of the Early Harvest Arrangement marks a key achievement in implementing the zero-tariff policy announced by President Xi Jinping and a concrete step to implement the guiding principles from the third and fourth plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee and expand China’s voluntary opening-up. It also advances outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit and contributes to building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and will open a new chapter in economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. The Republic of the Congo is the first African country to sign an Early Harvest Arrangement with China. Under the arrangement, China will implement zero-tariff for 100% tariff lines for Congolese products, while the Republic of the Congo will also further open its market to Chinese goods.

Going forward, China will actively advance negotiations with other African countries on the Agreements on Economic Partnership for Shared Development, to implement zero-tariff for 100% tariff lines for all African countries having diplomatic relations with China, help African nations benefit from China’s vast market and development opportunities, and provide long-term, stable, and predictable institutional guarantees for China-Africa trade and investment cooperation.