NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 21 — The African Union (AU) will convene African ambassadors in Beijing this week for a high-level retreat aimed at sharpening the continent’s strategy to fully exploit China’s 100 percent tariff-free market access offer.The two-day meeting, scheduled for April 23–24, will focus on strengthening coordination among African states to operationalise the preferential trade arrangement, expand market access, and accelerate implementation of the AU’s long-term development blueprint, Agenda 2063.In a statement, the AU said the retreat—organised under the auspices of Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and hosted by the AU Permanent Mission to China led by Ambassador Alhaji Sarjoh Bah—will serve as a platform to align the tariff-free initiative with the African Continental Free Trade Area and key continental priorities.“The retreat’s primary objectives are to strengthen Africa’s coordinated capacity to operationalise China’s 100 per cent tariff-free offer, enhance market access, and accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063 and Forum on China-Africa Cooperation outcomes,” the AU said.Financing Discussions will centre on financing options, productivity-enhancing tools, and lessons from countries that have already benefited from early-stage Sino-African trade engagement.Delegates will also explore ways to strengthen research and policy systems around supply and demand for African exports to China.The forum will bring together African ambassadors and permanent representatives in China, officials from the AU Commission, the African Union Development Agency, and the AfCFTA Secretariat, alongside representatives from China’s foreign affairs, commerce, and development agencies.A keynote address will be delivered by Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Director-General of the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).The AU said the retreat will also examine mechanisms to leverage the tariff-free policy to boost industrialisation, agro-processing, manufacturing, and the development of regional value chains, as well as the establishment of special economic zones.The meeting comes ahead of the expected entry into force of China’s tariff-free offer on May 1, 2026, for eligible African countries—a move widely seen as a significant opportunity to deepen trade ties and support the continent’s industrial transformation.The AU said the gathering reflects a growing emphasis on shifting from policy commitments to implementation, while reinforcing unity and strategic coordination in Africa’s engagement with China.It builds on outcomes from a December 2025 strategic reflection meeting in Beijing that called for stronger alignment between AU priorities and commitments under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.“The retreat marks a decisive step towards strengthening Africa’s capacity to seize a critical opportunity to enhance trade, investment and development on the continent,” the AU said, adding that improved coordination, financing instruments, and harmonised standards will be key to maximising the benefits of the arrangement.