On 25 August, Ambassador Wu Peng attended a seminar titled “Enhancing Global Trade Cooperation amid Rising Protectionism: Can South-South Cooperation Be the Answer?”,  co-organised by the Chinese Embassy in South Africa and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Ambassador Wu delivered a keynote address and gave media interviews afterward. The event was also attended and addressed by Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter, Deputy Director-General of Trade at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, Chief Executive of the SAIIA. Over 60 participants, including experts, scholars, chamber of commerce representatives and NGO delegates, attended in person, and hundreds more joined online. The event featured lively discussions and a vibrant atmosphere.

In his address, Ambassador Wu reviewed the remarkable achievements attained in China-South Africa and China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. He highlighted the preferential measures announced by President Xi Jinping, including granting 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines through the entry into agreements on economic partnership for shared development. Ambassador Wu stressed that China–Africa cooperation has not only provided a valuable example for Global South countries in resisting protectionism, but also offered strong support for promoting global economic justice. China will continue to deepen cooperation with Africa, optimise its trade structure with the continent, and help boost Africa's modernisation process.

The participants highly commended the zero-tariff policy, as it provides enormous opportunities for Africa to tap into China's vast market, and enhance Africa’s trade diversification and economic resilience. They noted China's continued leadership in international cooperation with Africa, with Chinese investment increasingly becoming a key driver for African transformation. They expressed hope that China-Africa cooperation will continue to bring greater benefits to the African people.