The Hainan Free Trade Port aims to open new perspectives for economic and trade cooperation and become an important gateway for China’s greater openness in a new era. With the official launch of its special customs operation on December 18, 2025, the port is committed to offering more facilities for companies in the import and export of goods and to attracting more foreign investors. On this occasion, CGTN Français invited African journalists to present the most important port in their country and the opportunities that Hainan’s special customs operation could bring to the development of economic and trade cooperation with Africa. Beninese journalist Héribert‑Label Elisée Adjovi, Governor of the Pan‑African Magazine of Diplomacy and International Relations Le Label Diplomatique, argues that this initiative will help increase China‑Africa trade flows through smoother customs procedures and thus play a positive role in strengthening South‑South cooperation.

The Cotonou Autonomous Port (PAC) is Benin’s main commercial port, the true lung of the national economy, representing more than 90% of the country’s external trade. “Created on December 31, 1964, the deep‑water port of Cotonou, the only one in Benin, handles more than 10 million tons of freight per year and contributes up to 60% of Benin’s GDP and 45% of its tax revenues. Covering about 260 hectares, the Cotonou Autonomous Port is the gateway for the country’s imports and exports,” explains Adjovi. Beyond Benin, he notes, it also serves several landlocked countries in the sub‑region such as Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, which rely heavily on its infrastructure for their imports and exports.

The launch of the special customs operation at Hainan Free Trade Port on December 18, 2025, could, according to him, become a major lever to intensify Sino‑Beninese economic and trade cooperation, by facilitating cross‑border flows and opening new opportunities for integration into global value chains. Among these opportunities, Adjovi lists easy access to the Chinese market, a platform for re‑export, investments and partnerships, innovation, and digitalization. “The Hainan Free Trade Port will highlight digital solutions for customs and traceability. Benin could benefit from technology transfers to modernize its own port and customs procedures. The expected impact is first the strengthening of bilateral exchanges through increased China‑Benin trade volume. Then, economic diversification through the opening of new markets for Beninese products. Finally, regional integration. The Cotonou Autonomous Port could become Africa’s gateway to Hainan, linking West Africa to Asian value chains,” says the Governor of Le Label Diplomatique.

At the continental level, he explains that the Hainan Free Trade Port, with its independent customs regime, could become a strategic actor in the articulation between China and the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area). According to Adjovi, the Hainan Free Trade Port will facilitate Sino‑African trade by offering simplified customs procedures and reduced tariffs. “Hainan could become a privileged gateway for African products to China. In this regard, African agricultural, textile, and mining exports could benefit from more competitive access to the Chinese market. Hainan could serve as a re‑export platform for African products to Southeast Asia and the Pacific. This would strengthen the visibility of African products in global value chains, complementing AfCFTA’s logistics corridors,” he notes. Moreover, in strengthening South‑South cooperation, Hainan could become, in Adjovi’s view, a laboratory of economic cooperation between China and Africa, supporting AfCFTA initiatives for regional integration and making China a more credible actor in international trade negotiations.

This article was first published on CGTN Français website and Le Label Diplomatique magazine, Dec. 18, 2025. This article represents the views of Héribert‑Label Elisée Adjovi and not necessarily those of China-Africa Institute.