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Africa Seeks Closer Economic Ties with China
African officials have expressed the desire to seek closer economic and trade ties with China. The officials visited south China's Guangdong Province, an economic powerhouse, October 13-17, after attending the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in Beijing a week ago.
Egyptian ambassador to China Mohammed Noman Galal said that his country has established a special agency providing services to Egyptian investors in China.
Dr. M. J. Davies director of African Asian Focus Society, a consulting agency in South Africa, said that China's light industry goods sell well in Africa because of their low prices.
Davies said Guangdong is a big market for goods made in South Africa, whose economy is backed by manufacturing and exports.
He said South Africa has cast eyes on China, Guangdong in particular. Businessmen from his country are establishing more contact with Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other cities in Guangdong, he added.
Eriya Kategaya, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, said many people in his country are familiar with Chinese commodities such as lorries, motorcycles, and household electrical appliances.
However, he said, a number of Chinese commodities entered Uganda via Europe or the United States. He hopes the goods can be directly exported to Uganda to bring their prices down.
T. Woldemickael, ambassador for Eritrea to China, has expressed interests in potted trees and stoneware after touring a flower market in the city of Shunde.
Meeting African delegates on October 13, provincial governor Lu Ruihua said that Guangdong's trade with Africa has been on the rise. Last year, Guangdong's exports to Africa reached 1.563 billion U.S. dollars, up 11 percent over the previous year.
Guangdong, China's largest exporting base, has also set up eight trading agencies in Africa, he said.
The officials also visited telecommunication companies before winding up their tour on Monday afternoon.
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