Interest in natural diamonds from Namibia, Botswana and South Africa was recently invigorated following the signing of the Beijing Declaration Agreement.

The Shanghai Diamond Exchange and representatives from the three neighbouring countries signed the agreement to strengthen ties between the diamond-producing African nations and the Chinese jewellery market.

At the signing ceremony, the participants discussed global natural-diamond industry trends, China's consumer and retail market, the sector's socioeconomic impact in African producing countries and future cooperation.

An analyst and observer of China-Africa relations, Geraud Neema told NBC that China has been dealing with third parties when it comes to diamond imports.

"The declaration is proposing to help African countries to experience the diamond industry like supply chains in terms of sorting, cutting, polishing and strengthening all the socio-economic impacts of the diamond industry.] The goal here is to have these countries not send the rough diamonds to China and Antwerp but to really polish them and then export them."

A senior researcher leading the Africa-China Programme, Cobus van Staden, said it is mind-boggling that non-diamond producers like India and Belgium are the main suppliers of diamonds to the Chinese jewellery industry.

"Countries like India and Belgium are big exporters of diamonds, but they do not actually have diamonds themselves. They are cutting and polishing centres. And those diamonds actually come from Africa, like from these three countries and other African countries."

Building on China-Africa cooperation, the Beijing Declaration outlines a shared vision for the sustainable development of the natural-diamond industry in line with the SDGs and the African Union's Agenda 2063, a blueprint and master plan to position the continent as a major global economic force.