CRI听力: China & Tanzania Sign Loan Agreements

Visiting Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming has signed on behalf of the Chinese government four sets of agreement frameworks concerning China's grant and loans to Tanzania.

The agreements include 100 million U.S. dollars for the second phase of an information and communication technology infrastructure network project and 93.5 million U.S. dollars for the Zanzibar International Airport Terminal II project.

Our correspondent Wei Tong reports.

Chen Deming and Tanzanian Minister of Finance Mustafa Mkulo signed the agreements at a function held at the state house in the capital, Dar es Salaam.

Speaking shortly after singing the documents, Chen Deming says the loans are part of the eight measures announced at the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held late last year in Egypt.

He says China will listen to opinions from Tanzania to make sure the measures are implemented well.(www.hXen.com)

"So far there are more than 40 Chinese-funded companies operating in Tanzania with an accumulated investment exceeding 200 million U.S. dollars. The areas of investment have expanded from construction to textiles, transportation, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, mineral development and daily necessities. China will seriously listen to the opinions from the government of Tanzania and try to make to make sure that these measures are implemented well.''

Tanzanian Minister of Finance Mustafa Mkulo hails the Chinese government for its support, saying that China is a traditional friend and has always been at the forefront in helping Tanzania implement development projects. He thanks China on behalf of the Tanzanian government for the continued support of his country's social and economic development.

"The government of the United Republic of Tanzania is committed to maintain and promote further the partnership and friendly relations that exist between the our two countries and our two peoples."

Meanwhile, during a meeting with Tanzanian Minister of Industry and Trade Mary Nagu, the Chinese foreign minister proposed four-point measures to further develop Sino-Tanzanian economic and trade cooperation.
Chen Deming notes with satisfaction that China's imports from Tanzania went up 46.7 percent in the first 11 months of 2009, while total Chinese direct investment exceed 200 million U.S. dollars.

"On the trade and economic front, we have seen rapid growth, and over the past five years, we have witnessed an increase. In 2008, bilateral trade stood at 1 billion or more than 1 billion U.S. dollars."
The four-point measures include expanding bilateral trade under the exchanged documents on tax exemption to some export products to China.

Another measure is to promote contract projects cooperation for sustainable development and implement the eight new measures to strengthen China-Africa cooperation.

Tanzanian Minister of Industry and Trade Mary Nagu reiterates that Tanzania-China trade is developing at a high speed under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, with China becoming Tanzania's third-largest trading partner.

"The increase trade between our two countries has been further enhanced as a result of the Sino-Africa cooperation arrangement that was introduced by the Chinese government in 2003. This is a special treatment of preferential trade given to the least developed countries Tanzania being one by China and I thank China for that initiative."

Tanzania is the last leg of Chen Deming's tour in Africa, which also took him to Ethiopia and Mozambique.

Wei Tong, CRI News, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.