China will help train some 3,000 professionals for more than 130 developing countries this year as such training is one of the important means of China's foreign aid, an official said in Tianjin Monday.

Lin Bin, an official in charge of international economic cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), made the remarks when addressing a training class held in north China's Tianjin Municipality.

Thirty government officials, teachers and technicians from 16 countries like Egypt, Yemen, Vietnam, Ukraine and Ethiopia will receive a two-month training on computer knowledge and technologies beginning Monday in the Tianjin University of Technology and Education.

Lin said a total of 3,000 officials and other professionals from developing countries will be trained by the ministry this year on politics, economy, diplomacy, science and technology, agriculture and education.

He said China has helped train "a great number" of professionals since the 1950s when it had made personnel training an important means of foreign aid.

(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2004)