Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming headed a Chinese government trade and economic delegation to visit Morocco, Equatorial Guinea and Ghana on invitation from February 12 to 18. At the close of his visit, Minister Chen accepted an exclusive interview by Xinhua News Agency reporter and answered his questions about the visit and Sino-Africa trade and economic cooperation.

Reporter: Minister Chen, it is the third year that you head the Chinese government trade and economic delegation to visit Africa at the beginning of the year, what’s your consideration?

Chen Deming: The trade and economic cooperation is the important cornerstone of Sino-Africa friendship. Africa is China’s good friend and reliable trading partner while China is Africa’s first largest trading partner, important investment source and principal provider of aid. It is an important foothold for China’s foreign policies to consolidate and develop the friendly and pragmatic cooperation with African countries so that we will give priority to it in our development of foreign economic exchanges.

Reporter: What’s the new situation that Sino-Africa trade and economic cooperation faces with? And what are the major tasks of this visit?

Chen Deming: The year of 2011 is the first year of China’s “12th Five-Year-Plan” and the second decade since the establishment of FOCAC. In accordance with the eight new measures on enhancing the pragmatic cooperation with Africa proposed by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in the 4th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC, China will continue enhancing its pragmatic cooperation with African countries, especially the cooperation in the projects that are beneficial for the improvement of local livelihood in agriculture, medical care and development of human resources.

It is the first year for China to vigorously push forward new methods for foreign aid. China will, based on the spirits of National Foreign Aid Working Conference last year, further increase the capital for foreign aid, optimize the structure and innovate the way so as to improve the effectiveness of foreign aid. While holding on foreign aid as the mutual help among developing countries, China will strengthen the capacity of independent development of aided countries and drive up domestic enterprises “going global” through foreign aid to realize the mutual benefit and win-win outcome. In addition, the specific use of aid capital should emphasis the highlights, free aid and interest-free loans for social welfare projects and social public facilities, concessional loans for production projects with economic effects and projects of resources and energy.

This year is also the 10th anniversary of China’s accession into the WTO. The Chinese government will open wider to the rest of the world and strive to maintain the interests of developing countries by its participation into Doha Round Negotiations. On expansion of the cooperation with Africa, China determined to grant zero-tariff measure on 95% products from the least developed countries in Africa in three years since 2010, set up exhibition center for African products in the Mainland and initiate the cooperation about special loan for small and medium-sized enterprise development with quite a number of African countries. Besides, China will further boost the liberalization and facilitation of trade and launch more targeted measures on expanding import from Africa.

To put it in a nutshell, it is a new start for Sino-Africa trade and economic cooperation of mutual benefit and win-win outcome. For another leap and bound in the pragmatic cooperation in trade and economy with Africa, China launched a series of new measures. I hope to extend the Chinese government’s sincere wishes on the development of Sino-Africa relations and new measures to African countries and people, understand the real demands of our friends, discuss how to deepen bilateral pragmatic cooperation under the new situation and further promote the sound and steady development of Sino-Africa trade and economic relations by this visit.

Reporter: What achievements do you make after your visit to the three countries?

Chen Deming: The three countries have featured regional advantages and their trade and economic cooperation with China is ever closer. Morocco, as an Arab country in North Africa, has a steady economy with constant development. It is also the important channel between Africa and Europe and Middle East. Equatorial Guinea, whose economy developed rapidly and steadily in recent years, is the member of Economic Community of Central African States and Central African Customs and Economic Union. And Ghana is an important member of Economic Community of West African States and its development momentum is sound.

During the visit, I called upon leaders of the three countries, held matching talks on how to boost the cooperation in new fields with relevant departments of the three governments respectively and made inspection in some ongoing projects and local market. Despite the compact schedule, the visit is abundant, effective and successful. Here are the main fruits:

Firstly, we had expansive exchanges with leaders, government departments and business communities of the three countries and made quite a number of new consensuses in the discussion on new methods of enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation under the new situation. In Morocco, the two sides achieved the intention of cooperation in the issues of expanding the import of phosphate fertilizer and sponsoring symposium for senior officials of developing zones; in Equatorial Guinea, the two sides reached consensus on the development of human resources and cooperation in agriculture and fishery; in Ghana, the two sides agreed to take new methods in cooperation in infrastructure construction, telecommunication and financing. In addition, more issues were discussed with the three countries, like enhancing multi-level cooperation in agriculture, regional planning and design of projects.

Secondly, we got more deeply information about the fulfillment of Chinese measures on pragmatic cooperation and promote the implementation of new measures proposed in the 4th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC. During the visit, relevant institutions of the Chinese government and enterprises signed quite a number of trade and economic cooperation agreements with the three countries and pushed forward a batch of key projects of common concern.

Thirdly, we made in-depth investigation into how to further develop bilateral pragmatic cooperation under the new situation and acquired many pragmatic suggestions by field inspections in ongoing projects and local markets and talks with Chinese-funded enterprises in Africa.

Fourthly, we carefully and patiently introduced China’s measures on trade and economy with Africa and standpoints on some hot issues by means of official meetings, interviews and media symposium, which further enhanced the understanding and support of African countries and international society in China’s relevant measures.

Reporter: China and the three African countries are developing countries. At present, their common interests and mutual demands are on the increase. How, do you think, to further consolidate and deepen the trade and economic cooperation with African countries?

Chen Deming: Currently, the global political and economic pattern has adjusted profoundly. The common interests and mutual demands between China and Africa are on the increase. Most of African countries, whose urbanization and industrialization are at an early stage, hope to not only develop foreign trade but also gain more outside support and help in technical transfer, poverty alleviation, agriculture, and infrastructure construction. No matter what changes may take place in the world, the Chinese government will continue deepening China-Africa trade and economic cooperation and striving to realize new leap at the new start point with the principles of fairness, effectiveness, mutual benefit and common development.

Firstly, expand trade and promote the balanced development. China will actively push forward the liberalization and facilitation of trade so as to provide more convenient trade environment for enterprises of the two sides. Besides, China will encourage domestic powerful enterprises to set up logistics center in Africa, open its export wider to Africa and increase its export of great commodities to Africa. China will continue importing more commodities with high added-value from Africa, positively support African improvement of product processing and export, and promote the balanced development of bilateral trade. In addition, China will discover new methods to promote the development of China-Africa service trade.

Secondly, diversify cooperation methods and improve the cooperation. China will encourage and support domestic enterprises to expand their investment in Africa, guide them to expand their fields to Agriculture, manufacturing, finance, trade and environmental protection, accelerate its progress of the construction of trade and economic cooperation zones in Africa, continue building industrial parks in African countries with mature conditions, and make full use of financing platforms of China-Africa Development Fund and Special Loans for African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to help the diversified development of African economy. Moreover, China will increase its investment in major construction projects of African countries, help them design their plans on electronics, transportation and telecommunication, improve their infrastructure and boost the regional integration. China will also encourage domestic enterprises to transfer technologies as to improve the local employment.

Thirdly, highlight projects involving people’s livelihood and improve the development. Both China and Africa should take the opportunity of the implementation of the new measures proposed in the 4th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC and comprehensively improve the trade and economic cooperation. China’s aid to Africa will further focus on the livelihood fields like agriculture, education, medical care, health, and poverty alleviation. Meanwhile, China will help African countries to manage practical technologies to improve the life of local people. Furthermore, China will enhance the cooperation of the HR development, train talents of all kinds for Africa, share its development experiences with African countries and improve their independent development.

Fourthly, perfect public services and create great environment. Enterprise is the subject of trade and economic cooperation. China and Africa should positively take measures to promote the signing and implementation of investment protection agreement and agreement on avoidance of double taxation so as to create a more fair, transparent and predicable environment for business. Besides, China will further give play to chambers of commerce of the two sides like China-Africa Business Conference to provide various services for trade and economic promotion and establish more effective platforms for exchanges and cooperation of Chinese and African enterprises.