China is set to significantly expand its economic partnership with Cameroon, focusing on infrastructure, energy, and agriculture, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao announced Tuesday.
Speaking during a high-level meeting with his Cameroonian counterpart in the capital, Yaoundé, Wang emphasized Beijing’s commitment to “deepening practical cooperation” and helping the Central African nation modernize its economy.
The talks were held on the sidelines of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which Cameroon is hosting this week. The visit underscores China’s role as Cameroon’s largest trading partner and a primary source of foreign investment.
The discussions highlighted several priority areas for the coming years:
- Infrastructure: Building on existing mega-projects like the Kribi deep-sea port and various highway networks to improve regional connectivity.
- Energy: Focusing on hydropower and renewable energy to address Cameroon’s growing industrial power needs.
- Agriculture: Enhancing technical assistance and investment in the “agro-industry” to boost local processing and food security.
Wang noted that China is ready to align its development strategies with Cameroon’s National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (SND30), which aims to transform the country into an emerging economy.
The meeting follows a 2025 framework agreement designed to grant Cameroonian goods duty-free access to Chinese markets. While China remains the top supplier of machinery and telecommunications to Cameroon, both nations expressed a desire to rebalance trade by increasing Cameroonian exports of agricultural and processed goods.
Cameroonian officials welcomed the pledge, noting that Chinese investment has been instrumental in the country’s recent industrialization efforts.
“China’s win-win approach helps rebuild essential transport and energy infrastructure without the political conditionalities often seen elsewhere,” a ministry spokesperson stated.
The two nations are currently preparing for the 55th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2026. As part of this milestone, Cameroon is expected to send a delegation of over 500 businesses to the upcoming Canton Fair in China to source industrial machinery and secure new technical partnerships.
