BEIJING, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa has demonstrated strong vitality, with a rapid increase in trade volume over the past 25 years, official data showed on Wednesday.

China's total imports and exports with African countries increased from less than 100 billion yuan (about 13.9 billion U.S. dollars) in 2000 to 2.1 trillion yuan in 2024, marking an average annual growth of 14.2 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

The data was released ahead of the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, scheduled to be held from June 12 to 15 in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.

On Wednesday, the GAC also published the 2024 China-Africa trade index, which reached a record high of 1,056.53 points. The index uses the year 2000 as its benchmark, set at 100 points, according to the administration.

China had been Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years by the end of 2024, and the growth of bilateral trade has continued to pick up pace so far in 2025.

According to earlier data from the GAC, China's trade with African countries hit a record high in the first five months of this year, increasing 12.4 percent year on year to 963.21 billion yuan.■