China to make more efforts to help Africa to develop textile industry
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-10-19 11:04
China will make more efforts to help African countries develop their textile
industry in order to offset the effects of cheap Chinese imports, said an
official with the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.
During a briefing on
the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Zhou Yabin, director of the
ministry's West Asia and North Africa Department, admitted that the exports of
Chinese textile products have had a negative impact on Africa's textile exports.
The Chinese government hopes to fund training programs to enhance the
competitiveness of African products, Zhou said.
China has helped some
African countries, such as Tanzania and Zambia, set up textile factories, which
have provided jobs to locals and also enhanced the development of these
countries, he said.
But some news media said Chinese textile exports
were affecting their African counterparts on the world market.
"Though
the two sides are facing problems, Zhou said, I believe the two sides can work
together and China is willing to help Africans improve the competitiveness of
their textile products," Zhou said.
China's textile exports have
increased since the quota of textile products was cancelled at the beginning of
2005, he said.
But they have not "terribly" increased as some media
reports claim, Zhou added.
FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue
and cooperation jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new
challenges and facilitate common development.
Since the launch of the
FOCAC in 2000, two ministerial conferences have been held in Beijing and Addis
Ababa. (For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
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