Weifang in Shandong province held a Shandong–Africa Industrial Cooperation Matchmaking Event on Aug 5, bringing together representatives of diplomatic missions from 15 African countries in China and more than 60 Shandong agricultural enterprises.

As one of China's leading agricultural centers, Weifang is seeking to deepen cooperation with African countries in agricultural modernization, including advanced machinery, mature technologies and development models. The city also aims to expand cooperation in cultural tourism and cultural and creative industries.

During the event, government departments and African diplomatic representatives introduced various cooperation opportunities and policies, while local enterprises shared their experiences. Participants held discussions on trade in specialty agricultural products, deep processing and smart agriculture solutions, resulting in several cooperation proposals.

African diplomatic representatives learn about agricultural machinery and modern farming technologies during a field visit in Weifang, Shandong province. [Photo/Qilu Evening News]

Stanley Banda, minister-counselor of the Embassy of Zimbabwe in China, said Zimbabwe boasts abundant agricultural resources but faces challenges such as insufficient mechanization, limited technical expertise and inadequate investment.

A visit to Weifang gave him a firsthand look at the city's well-developed agricultural machinery industry chain, advanced production and processing technologies, and successful business models. He expressed hope for deeper cooperation in agricultural machinery and technologies, including technical guidance and skills training to help Zimbabwean farmers raise productivity.

The discussions opened new opportunities for Weifang and its African partners to cooperate in areas including agricultural machinery, technology, processing and trade.