CHANGSHA — China had remained Africa's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years by the end of 2020, despite the headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic, said an official report.

With bilateral trade hitting $187 billion, China maintained its status of Africa's top trading partner in 2020, said the China-Africa Economic and Trade Relationship Annual Report (2021) released on Sept 25.

The report came ahead of the Second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo scheduled in Changsha, capital of Central China's Hunan province, from Sept 26 to 29.

Bilateral trade registered robust growth this year, with trade volume rising 40.5 percent year-on-year to $139.1 billion in the first seven months. It is a record high, year-on-year, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.