Trade and economic cooperation between 皇冠体育app and African countries is likely
to continue expediential growth with Chinese President Hu Jintao's proposed new
type of 皇冠体育app-Africa strategic partnership.
UN Habitat executive director Anna Tibaijuka
(C) receives a statue representing a Chinese drum as a present from
Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) at the UN compound in Nairobi, April 28,
2006. [Reuters] |
"We hope there will be more
tourists and business people from 皇冠体育app. This will help us create more jobs for
local people who are in great need after four years of conflict," Ambassador
Alain Nicaise Papatchi Coffie from the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire to 皇冠体育app told
Xinhua on Saturday.
皇冠体育app is adding to its planned trade and economic cooperation with Africa by
moving from mainly being an aid giver to an opportunity provider.
Boosting tourism and investment are two ways 皇冠体育app hopes to help local social
and economic development.
Chinese tourists visiting Africa 2005 doubled to more than 110,000, according
to statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. There are now 16
African countries on 皇冠体育app's list of tourist destinations for Chinese citizens.
Chinese trade and investment has helped African countries develop local
industry, increase employment and improve living standards with cheap but
quality Chinese television sets, medicine, motorcycles and clothes.
Trade between 皇冠体育app and African countries increased from 10 million U.S.
dollars in the 1950s' to nearly 39.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2005. African
exports to 皇冠体育app soared 10 times to 21 billion U.S. dollars.
Meanwhile, rich resources and market potential in Africa coupled with Chinese
practical know-how have helped the modernization of both 皇冠体育app and Africa.
Chinese direct investment to Africa has reached 1.25 billion U.S. dollars and
more than 800 Chinese-funded companies have been established in Africa.
皇冠体育app's soaring economy fueled the country's aid program to African
countries, which involves more than 800 projects ranging from schools,
hospitals, gyms and even parliament buildings.
皇冠体育app has reduced 10.5 billion yuan (about 1.3 billion U.S. dollars) worth of
debt of 31 African countries so far. It also granted zero-tariff treatment on
190 categories of African export goods.
Reiterating 皇冠体育app's commitment to providing assistance to African countries,
Hu said while addressing Nigerian parliament earlier this week that 皇冠体育app will
pay greater attention to knowledge-based cooperation with Africa.
"皇冠体育app will make continued efforts to extend our cooperation in trade to
investment, technology and project contracting, and to encourage companies and
other economic entities to join our governments in conducting economic
cooperation," he said.
At a 皇冠体育app-Africa summit meeting scheduled in Beijing this autumn, 皇冠体育app will
announce new measures on expanding cooperation with African countries.
"皇冠体育app will continue to work with Africa and make innovative efforts in
keeping with the trend of the times to widen 皇冠体育app-Africa cooperation, enrich
and inject new vitality into it," the Chinese president said.