China’s push to promote imports from Africa has yet to boost trade numbers, with shipments from the continent falling 12.4 per cent to US$53 billion in the first half of 2023, according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs. South Africa had a brighter trade outlook than most of the continent. In this interview with South China Morning Post, SAIIA’s China-Africa relations expert Lauren Johnston says China’s relationship with South Africa is more diversified than most of China’s relations with other African countries.
