Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Saturday, February 14, 2026, to João Lourenço, rotating chairperson of the African Union (AU) and President of Angola, and Yusuf (phonetic translation), Chairperson of the AU Commission, extending warm congratulations to African nations and peoples on the occasion of the 39th African Union Summit.

In the message, President Xi announced that China will fully implement a zero-tariff policy on all imports from the 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, effective May 1, 2026. He noted that China will continue to advance negotiations on economic partnership agreements for shared development and further expand market access for African exports to China through measures including the upgrading of the "green channel." Xi emphasized that this initiative represents a new step in China’s commitment to high-level opening-up and is poised to create fresh opportunities for Africa’s development and the joint pursuit of modernization between China and Africa.