China wants to expand the sale of African agricultural products across its e-commerce platforms, according to a senior Chinese foreign ministry official.

Wu Peng, director general of the ministry’s department of African affairs, said at a launch ceremony of “African Products Online Promoting Season” that China has never pursued trade surplus with Africa.

He said the online promotion will help African products, particularly agricultural products, gain more market shares in China.

To coincide with the new China Africa Cooperation forum to be held in Senegal at the end of 2021, China will encourage e-commerce, particularly live streaming platforms, to promote the export of agricultural products from the continent to China, according to the government statement.

Trade volume between China and Africa reached $139.1 billion in the first seven months of the year, in which the imports from Africa were $59.3 billion, according to China’s ministry of commerce.