African leaders meet in Beijing amid trade tensions

BEIJING — African leaders will likely press their Chinese hosts at a conference this week to help narrow their trade deficits with Beijing by shifting more manufacturing to their continent, the chief executive of the biggest African bank said.

China has passed Europe and the United States as the biggest trading partner of most African countries. Most run large deficits with Beijing, exporting minerals and buying Chinese manufactured goods.

“The question of the trade imbalance is one that I think will be placed firmly on the table by the African delegates,” said the chief executive of South Africa’s Standard Bank Group, Sim Tshabalala.