China stands ready to support Africa's game changing FTA

In a historic move to unleash Africa's growth potential by boosting intraregional trade, African leaders launched a continental free trade zone at the African Union Summit in Niamey, capital of Niger, on Sunday after 17 years of tough negotiations.

The African Continental Free Trade Area - a $3.4-trillion economic bloc that covers 54 of Africa's 55 countries and unites 1.3 billion people - is the largest free trade area since the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1994.

That African countries have finally reached the milestone deal despite their conflicting interests and vastly different development stages underscores their collective resolve to liberalize trade for peace and prosperity across the continent. This is especially significant given the increasing trade protectionism that already poses a severe threat to global growth.