China will provide more assistance to the Least Developing
Countries (LDCs) and Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) over
the next few years, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said on Monday during the
High-Level Meeting for Mid-term Review of Program for Action for
LDCs.
"As China's economy grows, we will involve ourselves more in
South-South cooperation and do more to support the LDCs. In the
next few years, we will increase the scale of assistance to the
LDCs and HIPCs," Li said.
China will increase imports from the LDCs, extend tariff-free
treatment to more of their exports to China, and help them train
more management and technological personnel.
At the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation scheduled
for November, China will propose new measures to help and
accelerate the development of African countries, Li added.
China has provided assistance or grants to 49 LDCs on 1,701
occasions, canceled 172 debts of 36 LDCs, and given tariff-free
treatment to some exports from those LDCs that have diplomatic ties
with China.
According to the UN, there are a total of 50 LDCs in the world,
34 of which are in Africa. There are 14 LDCs in the Asia-Pacific,
and the other two are in West Asia and the Caribbean.
(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2006)