Daniel Francisco Chapo became the first head of state from Africa to pay a state visit to China
The president of Mozambique, Daniel Francisco Chapo, became the first head of state from Africa to pay a state visit to China.
Chapo travelled to China at the end of April for meetings with President Xi Jinping of China and other high-level government officials over new plans to further deepen bilateral relations and cooperation between the two nations.
The meetings took place just a week before the zero-tariff policy officially kicked in on the 1st of May, consolidating ties between the two historical friends. As one of the least developed countries (LDCs), Mozambique was among the first beneficiaries of the zero-tariff policy, allowing Maputo to benefit from non-tariff access for a broad range of exports into the massive Chinese market at a time when other major economies have imposed punitive tariffs against trading partners, including smaller and weaker countries.
The zero-tariff policy will provide strong impetus to the economic and social development of Mozambique and other African countries. The first phase of the zero-tariff policy focusing on least developed countries began on 1 December 2024, before the policy was expanded from 1 May 2026 to include all African countries with formal diplomatic ties with China.
