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Honorable His Excellency Ministers,
Distinguished Heads of Each Delegation,
Dear Diplomatic Envoys of Various Countries

Ladies, gentlemen, and friends,

It’s so glad to meet all my friends in the beautiful coasty city of China―Xiamen. First of all, I would like to act on behalf of Ministry of Commerce of People’s Republic of China to deeply extend my warmest welcome to every Chinese and foreign guest who comes to attend the “African Countries Investment Seminar”, and express my thanks to all the government delegations of African countries and guests that came all the way to China, thank you for your effort in promoting the trade cooperation　between China and Africa.

Ladies, gentlemen and friends,

China and Africa have a friendly relationship of long history. And in recent years, promoted by both governments and through the joint effort of Chinese and African enterprises, the trade cooperation between China and Africa develops greatly, achieving fruitful results. Since the year of 2000 that the China-Africa bilateral trade volume reached to 10 billion dollars, the annual growing rate remains to more than 30%, and in 2007, the trade volume reached to 73.3 billion dollars. In first half of this year, the China-Africa trade volume reached to 53.1 billion dollars. Chinese enterprises actively invested in Africa countries with a direct investment amount up to 305 million dollars from January to June in 2008. Besides the traditional fields such as trade, engineering and so on, the scope of investment projects is extended to fields such as agriculture, tourism, energy and medical treatment. Currently, China has signed the Bilateral Improvement and Investment Protection Agreement with 29 African countries, and signed the Avoidance of Double Taxing and Tax Evasion Prevention Agreement. The policy and legal environment for Chinese and African enterprises to carry out investment cooperation is improved constantly.
Ladies, gentlemen, and friends,

　　The Beijing Summit of China-Africa Cooperation Forum held in November of 2006 was a big event in the China-Africa relationship with an epoch-making significance. At present, the implementation of eight polices and measures on pragmatically cooperating with African countries have achieved initial results. The first trade and economic cooperation zone, agricultural center of excellence, malaria control and prevention center of China has been established; China has signed a framework agreement on preferential loans with 20 countries; 13 countries have proposed to use the export-preferred loans of purchaser; the Africa Union Headquarters Center has been founded; the China-Africa Development Fund has invested in six projects, with an investment amount of about 100 million U.S. dollars, which will cause Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa with an amount of about 400 dollars. More than 400 kinds of products exported to China which were produced by 28 least-developed countries are under the preferential treatment of Zero Tariff; and China has exempted the interest-free loan debt of 32 countries which will expire at the end of 2005, trained 8493 professions in various fields for Africa, and sent 100 young volunteers to Africa. And all of the other measures are implemented according to plans.

Ladies, gentlemen and friends,

　　The China-Africa trade cooperation is highly complemented. Africa is a land with huge population, rich resources and great development potentials. In recent years, African economy maintains developing rapidly. China has huge market, rich experiences in development, and capital, technology and professions needed by the African countries. At present, numerous powerful and reputable Chinese enterprises are eager to go out of the country to invest in Africa.
　　Chinese government encourages those enterprises to invest in Africa based on the principles of equality, mutual benefits, and joint development, and requires the enterprises to create harmonious investment environment and produce good products, and contribute to the improvement of people’s living standard, solving of employment problems and increase of tax.

Ladies, gentlemen and friends,

　　China International Fair for Investment and Trade is the only investment improvement activity in China for the purpose of promoting the bilateral investment, and it is the largest investment exhibition in the world. So far it has successfully held for eleven times, and its impact is expanding constantly with an increasing number of countries and enterprises participating in. African countries value the Fair highly, and send high-level delegations to participate in the Fair in each year. The attendances of many ministerial-level officials of African countries in today’s Fair fully demonstrated it.

　　At present, many African countries are actively improving the country’s investment environment so as to attract investors, and they set down many preferential policies that Chinese enterprises intending to exploit the African markets are eager to know. I believe that speeches given by the following guests will provide the present Chinese enterprises with abundant information and satisfied answers.

　　Finally, I sincerely wish this Fair a complete success! Wish you a successful visit to Xiamen!
　　Thank you!