Africa needs innovative ways to increase exports to China

On Monday this week, Shanghai welcomed 172 countries, and regional and international organizations to the first China International Import Expo. The event, billed to promote common prosperity through economic globalization, is the latest addition to China's opening up policy innovation, thrusting the world's second-largest economy into the role of the new frontier for goods and services from around the world.

Welcoming the over 36,000 enterprises in Shanghai, Chinese President Xi Jinping maintained that the Expo was an exemplification of his country's affinity towards multilateralism and free trade.

While the Expo has been termed a significant move by China to embrace foreign products and services, the big question in many African capitals relates to how the continent will make the best use of the opportunity.

China and Africa share an impressive track record of increased economic ties. As the biggest trade partner for Africa since 2009, China has consolidated its economic foothold on the continent where it also ranks as the top investor. According to the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University, the value of trade between the two entities peaked at $215 billion in 2014.

Impressive as the numbers show, the resulting trade between China and Africa is heavily lopsided in favor of China. Much of the exports from Africa were raw materials, while imports from China into the continent were exclusively finished products, including machinery, household products, electronics and agricultural imports.