China's Hu in Mozambique for Africa investment drive
08 Feb 2007 10:56:32 GMT Source: Reuters
By Charles Mangwiro MAPUTO, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up his tour of mainland Africa in Mozambique on Thursday, exploring investment and business deals there and throughout southern Africa's Portuguese-speaking countries. In Maputo, he was due to hold talks with Mozambican President Armando Guebuza before signing a series of cooperation agreements covering agriculture, health, education and trade. China has been offering low interest loans, debt relief and other incentives to increase its influence in the world's poorest continent in return for access to natural resources, notably oil, to feed its booming economy. While many African governments have welcomed closer ties with Beijing, analysts say the region's poor countries must guard their weak manufacturing sectors against cheaper Chinese imports. Hu has been forced to address those concerns. After signing economic and agricultural agreements in South Africa, Hu said in a speech on Tuesday that "China has never imposed its will or unequal practices on other countries and will never do so in the future". Mozambique is one of Africa's poorest countries, but Western international donors say government policies in the past 10 years have put it on a strong growth path. The Chinese embassy in Maputo said that while in Maputo Hu would, besides exploring new opportunities in Mozambique, focus on other African Portuguese-speaking nations namely Angola, Cape Verde, Sao Tome & Principe and Guinea Bissau. The embassy said China has been involved in many construction projects in Mozambique, including building an international conference centre. Bilateral trade rose to $210 million in 2006 from $119 million in 2004, it said. Mozambique is Hu's last stop on mainland Africa. He completes his eight-nation tour with a swing through Seychelles in the Indian Ocean on Saturday on his way home.
