China, Germany Sign Agreements

Chinese Chief Negotiator Long Yongtu with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation (MOFTEC) and German Ambassador-in-charge Herbert Jess yesterday signed four project agreements worth 21 million marks (US$10.2 million) in grants that will be used to train Chinese experts and executives in various fields.

The project agreements will be used to establish new or put more funds into existing Sino-German technical projects.

About 8.5 million marks (US$4.14 million) will be used to pay experts for a short period of time to investigate projects and prepare for and do feasibility research.

For example, the Sino-German Environmental Protection Conference, to be held in December, will be supported by the above grant agreement, said an official with MOFTEC.

In another area, 6 million marks (US$2.9 million) will be used to train Chinese railway executives and experts.

The programme aims to train about 400 Chinese executives and experts in the short term.

Germany also promised to add 2.5 million marks (US$1.22 million) to a co-operation programme with the Shanghai administration of housing, land and resources.

The programme, which began in 1992 and will run until 2001, aims to help the Shanghai administration improve the quality of its services and build Shanghai into a model city for other Chinese cities to emulate.

Germany's previous grants to the programme are not immediately available. But the official with MOFTEC said the added 2.5 million marks (US$1.22 million) will be used to finance the last stage of the programme.

The remaining 4 million marks (US$1.95 million) will be used to protect Miyun Reservoir and help local residents improve land usage in the area.

Long and Jess expressed their satisfaction with past successes and long-standing co-operation during their meeting.

Germany has provided China with 1.23 billion marks (US$600 million) in grants in the past 18 years since 1992, according to the MOFTEC.

The grants are mainly used for environmental protection, training, reform and fighting poverty. Protecting the environment and natural resources, especially forestry and climate, anti-poverty and reform in rural area will take priority in Sino-German technical co-operation until 2001, said a spokesman with the German Embassy.





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