On May 6 and 7, 2026, Ambassador Fan Yong of China to Botswana received interviews from Duma FM and Botswana Television on China’s zero-tariff treatment for Africa.

Ambassador Fan stated that, starting from May 1 this year, China has implemented zero-tariff treatment for all products from the 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic ties. This is an important measure of China taking the initiative to expand unilateral opening up. It demonstrates China’s willingness to shoulder more international obligations and steadily expand high-standard opening up. 

China welcomes African countries, including Botswana, to seize the opportunities presented by China’s development and work together toward modernization. China looks forward to seeing high-quality Botswana products such as beef and citrus enter the vast Chinese market at an early date. China stands ready to take the comprehensive implementation of zero-tariff treatment as an opportunity to support Botswana’s economic diversification and industrial upgrading, and to inject strong momentum into the development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.