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<strong>TRADE</strong><br />
Africa<br />
China pledges to help Angola in<br />
diversifying exports in bilateral trade<br />
China, Mauritius sign about 9 million U.S.<br />
dollars economic cooperation accord<br />
Visiting Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Zhong<br />
Shan said here on Jan. 13 that China would help Angola<br />
in diversifying its exports to China as part of the efforts to<br />
boost trade relations between the two countries.<br />
Zhong made the pledge during his meeting with Angolan<br />
Minister of Trade Maria Idalina Valente to explore<br />
ways of further expanding trade and economic ties between<br />
the two countries.<br />
Zhong said China has attached importance to developing<br />
ties with Angola, the largest trading partner of China in<br />
Africa, and the 2010 visit to Angola by Chinese Vice President<br />
Xi Jinping brought Sino-Angolan ties to new highs.<br />
The Chinese official said crude oil was almost the sole<br />
product of Angola which ended up in Chinese markets despite<br />
the fact that trade volume between the two countries<br />
amounted to some 25 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, and the<br />
Chinese government has decided to reduce or waive tariffs<br />
on Angolan exports to China from January 1, 2011 to<br />
encourage Angolan businessmen to export more products<br />
to China, including agricultural produces, fish and other<br />
marine products<br />
and diamonds.<br />
Z h o n g<br />
said China<br />
a nd A ngola<br />
have made<br />
substantial<br />
progress in<br />
bilateral cooperation<br />
in<br />
the f ields of<br />
energy, basic<br />
infrastructures<br />
and agriculture, and the Chinese government has encouraged<br />
Chinese enterprises to invest in Angola and make<br />
technological transfers to the African country as well.<br />
For her part, Maria Idalina Valente said Angola welcomed<br />
China’s proposal to expand bilateral trade and economic<br />
cooperation on the basis of the strategic partnerships<br />
hammered out during Xi Jinping’s visit to Angola.<br />
The Angolan minister said the biggest challenge faced<br />
by her government is to diversify its oil-dependent economy<br />
and to build up industrial and manufacturing capabilities in<br />
the national economy.<br />
She said Angola is trying to improve its investment<br />
conditions and hopes to reach an agreement with China on<br />
the protection of investments by the year 2012.<br />
The minister said her country is also keen on learning<br />
from China’s development experiences in setting up special<br />
economic zones and zones of processing products for exports.<br />
Zhong arrived in Luanda earlier in the day for a twoday<br />
work visit to the African country. (Xinhua)<br />
China has signed an economic and trade cooperation<br />
accord with Mauritius worth about 9 million U.S. dollars,<br />
including 6 million dollars grant and 3 million dollars<br />
interest-free loan.<br />
The accord was signed on Friday and the signing ceremony<br />
was attended by visiting Chinese Vice Premier Hui<br />
Liangyu and Mauritius Vice Prime Minister and Minister<br />
of Finance and Economic Development Pravind Kumar<br />
Jugnauth.<br />
According to the accord, the grant and loan will fund<br />
projects agreed on by the two governments in the future.<br />
Hui and Jugnauth also agreed on boosting cooperation<br />
in science and culture and implementing the programs of<br />
the accord signed by the two sides.<br />
Hui also met Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra<br />
Ramgoolam in the capital of Port Louis on Friday when he<br />
started a three-day official visit to Mauritius.<br />
During the meeting, Hui commended the bilateral cooperation<br />
since the two countries established diplomatic ties<br />
in 1972 and the promising trend to further strengthen the<br />
ties in cultural exchange, education and tourism.<br />
He thanked the Mauritius government for its support<br />
on issues concerning the core interests of China.<br />
Hui noted that the two countries should keep pushing<br />
for extensive cooperation and high level exchange of visits,<br />
continue to building political trust between the two governments<br />
and implement the measures in the framework of<br />
China-Africa Cooperation Forum.<br />
Ramgoolam also spoke highly of the fruitful cooperation<br />
between the two countries and thanked China for the<br />
assistance in improving the country’s infrastructure including<br />
a new international airport which is under construction.<br />
Hui held talks with Mauritius opposition leader Paul<br />
Berenger on Saturday afternoon before he wraps up his visit<br />
to Mauritius, the first leg of his five-African country tour<br />
which will also take him to Zambia, the Democratic Republic<br />
of Congo, Cameroon and Senegal. (Xinhua)<br />
28
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