国内英语新闻:China, Oman to sign MOUs on investment, human resources

MUSCAT, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- A top Chinese delegation will sign agreements on two-way investment and personnel training with Oman amid efforts to deepen the cooperation between China and the Gulf oil-rich Sultanate, Chinese ambassador to Oman Pan Weifang said Friday.

Jia Qinglin, China's top political advisor, will pay a three- day good-will visit to Oman starting from Saturday. This is a visit of the highest level in 11 years in the history of bilateral relations, ambassador Pan told Xinhua ahead of the visit.

The delegation will meet Omani Sultan Qabus bin Said al-Said, deputy prime minister and other ministers and sign the important agreements during the visit, he said.

"I am very pleased to see that the senior Chinese leader will meet with His Majesty Sultan Qabus as the friendly Omani people are celebrating the 40th National Day," Pan said. "I believe Jia's visit will be another milestone in promoting the friendly cooperation, which has been valued in the long traditions of each country."

An agreement will also be signed to build a monument for Zheng He, China's ancient seafaring hero whose fleets arrived in Oman for four times and visited Oman's southern area of Dhofar about 600 years ago.

The voyage witnessed large amount of goods exchanges, such as china, silk and tea from China to Oman and frankincense, dates and Arabian horses from Oman to China.

Nowadays, as the Sultanate's largest trade partner, China is ready to contribute to Omani government's drive to diversify the sources of revenue, 70 percent of which derives from oil and gas.

Amid efforts for economic multi-polarization, Oman will develop non-oil sectors including infrastructure, renewable energies, tourism and finance, Pan said. "China and Oman will become essential partners in these fields."

"Oman's free trade zones in Sohar, Salalah and Duqm will also attract and facilitate China's investment in Oman," he added.

Recently, Chinese companies participated in the construction of a one-billion-U.S. dollar power plant project in the southern Salalah, which will begin generating electricity in 2012. As more Chinese investors are willing to start their businesses, the Bank of China opened a "China desk" in Bank Muscat, Oman's largest lender, to finance infrastructure projects.

Chinese travel agencies are keen to develop tourist routes in the Sultanate, which is very rich with spectacular landscapes, archaeological sites and historical monuments, Pan said, adding that an agreement was signed to encourage tourism between Oman and China.

About 5,000 Omani people go to China to do business and travel every year. During the Shanghai Expo, more than 10 ministers of Omani government went to China for a visit. "All these mirror the strong tie between the two countries," Pan noted.

China is the largest buyer of Oman's crude oil. The bilateral trade reached 7.1 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months this year, a 60 percent year-on-year increase.