China and The Gambia have continued to expand their cooperation across governance, trade and people-to-people exchanges in recent years. During a recent visit to China, Yusupha Jobe, former Secretary General of the Pan-African Parliament under the African Union and former Director General of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority of The Gambia, toured Yiwu in Zhejiang Province, a city known worldwide for its thriving small-commodity economy. In an exclusive interview with ChinAfrica, Jobe shared his views on governance exchanges between China and The Gambia, China’s zero-tariff policy, and the lessons Yiwu offers for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Edited excerpts of the interview follow. 

ChinAfrica: In recent years, governance exchanges between China and The Gambia have grown steadily. How do you think such exchanges can help to improve The Gambia’s development, and what do you think are the key governance philosophies and practices of China that are inspiring for The Gambia? 

Yusupha Jobe: Gambia’s level of development at this stage requires sustained support at the grassroots level and continued investment in key sectors to achieve industrialisation. We are a small country, and because of our dependence on imports and foreign exchange, we need strong local industries that can generate revenue, create employment and reduce the risk of our young people taking the "back way" and risking their lives crossing the ocean to reach Europe. 

We know China started its development journey under difficult circumstances. But just look at where China was 30 years ago and where it is today. It has become a global leader in many fields. For us, what is most important is cooperation in training, apprenticeships and investment in primary industries so that we no longer export only raw materials. Instead, we can process them, add value and export finished products. 

We have learned a great deal from China, particularly about cooperation, coordination and, above all, discipline. Without discipline, it is always difficult to get people to work together or accomplish anything. 

This is my first visit to China. I have been to Shanghai, Yiwu and now Beijing, and I have seen the same sense of order and organisation in every city. People are serious and hardworking. Everyone does their part to maintain cleanliness, order and public decorum. That is not something that can be achieved simply through government directives. It reflects the mindset and values of the people. 

Therefore, in Africa, we need to foster that same sense of discipline, hard work, respect for elders and respect for authority. That is how a country can transform itself from a developing nation into one of the world’s most advanced economies. 

This year has seen further increase of China-Africa economic and trade relations, marked by China’s zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries. What do you think are the implications of this policy for China-Africa relations and for Africa’s development?  

This policy is profound because we have seen how the world has changed. It has become increasingly difficult to export goods, with crises emerging across the globe. For China to introduce such a significant tariff measure for African countries is unprecedented. In fact, most African countries are facing higher tariffs in other markets. How can countries at our level of development improve if their goods are subject to heavy tariffs? They cannot generate sufficient income when they have to pay almost half the value in tariffs. What China has done is magnanimous, allowing 53 African countries to export their goods to China at zero tariff. I don’t think we have enjoyed such preferential access from any other country in the world. 

Therefore, this policy will have a huge impact. Many people have wanted to export more products, but they have been discouraged by heavy tariffs and the cost of preserving goods. In agriculture, most products are perishable. Without proper storage to keep them safe during transportation, they spoil. All these transport and storage costs have traditionally fallen on poor farmers in Africa. Then, when their goods reach foreign markets, they still have to pay tariffs. It was neither viable nor encouraging. 

With this new initiative, farmers and other exporters looking to sell to China will be much more willing to do so because their costs will be reduced dramatically. 

China will also benefit because more goods will enter the Chinese market under this arrangement. 

What are your first impressions of Yiwu and its business environment? What opportunities do you see for deeper cooperation between Gambian businesses and Yiwu suppliers? 

I was very impressed by Yiwu. Visiting the China-Africa Centre, I saw many Africans with their own spaces displaying products from their home countries. They are working together under a cooperative model to make African goods available in the Chinese market and Chinese goods available in the African market. 

I also found it very heartwarming that many of the Africans I met there speak fluent Chinese. They can read and write Chinese with confidence. The foundation of business is communication. If you cannot communicate well, it is difficult to understand what the other party wants, and that can lead to many errors. 

I also see that Chinese people are making great efforts to learn other languages. That shows commitment. It shows that you want to reach people and communicate with everyone. That helps to bring us together as one family. China and Africa are one family because the win-win cooperation China has created is genuine. It is not just rhetoric. We have seen what Africa experienced through colonialism and slavery, and everything that followed, and we can clearly see the difference in China’s approach. 

China treats us as equals, respects our views and opens its doors to dialogue. Whatever it pursues, it does so peacefully. That is very important. China does not seek conflict or problems. When it comes to Africa, it is always trying to create outcomes that work for all of us. 

Sometimes individual companies make mistakes, but they do not come with a state policy of doing something wrong. In contrast, we have seen other countries come to exploit resources, take what they want and even resort to conflict to protect their interests. 

That is not how you win people’s trust. When you respect people’s values, the environment and the local community, they welcome you. You become part of the family. 

Africans are very welcoming. We have been through a great deal, yet we remain ready to accept people, show them kindness and respect, and welcome them into our communities. That is one of our greatest strengths. Despite everything we have experienced, we continue to embrace others and move forward together. 

What lessons can African countries learn from Yiwu’s experience in supporting small businesses and global trade? How can those lessons help African SMEs grow? 

SMEs are a critical catalyst for improving the business environment because most African countries do not have many large conglomerates or multinational corporations. It is small businesses that carry the economy, create employment and drive growth. 

From what I have seen, Yiwu’s experience lies in its strong coordination and the logistics and support mechanisms it has put in place to help small businesses to grow and move up the value chain. 

This is very important because when you start out as a small business, competing with large corporations is extremely difficult. Yiwu’s experience in nurturing and supporting small businesses by providing them with the tools and resources they need to thrive is something that can be adapted for Africa. By creating the right ecosystem of support, infrastructure and innovation, we can help our SMEs to grow, become more competitive and achieve greater success. 

Beyond trade and investment, how do you assess the role of people-to-people exchanges in strengthening ties between China and Africa? 

A lot of people think the relationship between China and Africa is just about trade. But it is much more than that. We also share many cultural values and traditions. 

Chinese people are very peace-loving and place great importance on preserving their history and culture. Africa also has deeply rooted cultural traditions that have much to offer the world. Exchanging cultures, sharing values, learning about each other’s customs and perspectives, and adopting the best from one another are all very important. 

I believe that the more we cooperate, the more we interact and the better we get to know one another, the more we will understand and accept each other. As I mentioned, this is my first trip to China, and this visit has given me a different perspective. I had seen many reports about China in the news, but until I came here, I had no idea what I would actually experience. 

I was amazed by how far China has progressed. We want to work with China so that we, too, can move along the path of development and build a better future. We do not want to be left behind. We want to move forward together, learning from each other, drawing on our respective cultures and achieving greater progress as partners.