Guangdong Seeks to Expand Business Cooperation with AfricaGuangdong Province in south China has sent a high-profile business delegation, led by Governor Lu Ruihua, to Africa to look for more business opportunities in the vast African market.The delegation, which left Tuesday for a 15-day tour in Africa, will host the 2001 China Guangdong-Africa Economic, Trade and Technology Fair in Johannesburg, South Africa. The fair is seen as one of a series of business promotion activities Guangdong is to hold in Africa as Guangdong enterprises are eager to further tap the rich resources and huge market potential in Africa. Guangdong is known as an economic powerhouse of China and enterprises in the province have formed a sharp competitive edge during the rapid development of the local economy. The big demand of African countries for light industrial products, textiles, garments, household electronic appliances and hardware will provide a wide range of business opportunities for Guangdong's enterprises, a provincial trade official said. Guangdong forged economic ties with Africa in the 1960s, and bilateral trade has developed rapidly in recent years. Last year, Guangdong's trade with Africa reached 1.73 billion U.S. dollars, growing by 10 percent from 1999 and accounting for one-third of the China-Africa trade. Guangdong enterprises have set up trade companies or representative offices in a dozen African countries including Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia and the Sudan. They will increase investment in processing and industrial projects in African countries in the fields of telecommunications, motorcycles, carpets, alcohol, batteries, garments and sewing machines. |
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