LUSAKA/ WINDHOEK: President Hu Jintao capped a two-day visit to Zambia by inaugurating a massive mining investment partnership that has been heralded as a model for Beijing's growing ties with African countries.

Hu, who arrived in Zambia on Saturday, traveled yesterday to Namibia his fifth stop on an eight-nation African tour intended to boost Chinese relations with African countries.

During the visit, the Chinese president will meet with his Namibian counterpart Hifikepunye Pohamba and Namibia's former president Sam Nujoma.

On Sunday, China launched an economic and trade cooperation zone in the Zambian capital of Lusaka, the first of its kind established by the country in Africa.

Hu and his Zambian counterpart, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, jointly inaugurated the Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone.

The zone's establishment is part of China's efforts to fulfil its earlier promises to boost its cooperation with African nations.

At the Beijing Summit of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last November, Hu announced eight measures to strengthen China-Africa cooperation, including the establishment of three to five trade and economic cooperation zones in Africa in the next three years.

"The aim of my African tour is to consolidate the traditional friendship between China and Africa, implement the results achieved at the Beijing summit of FOCAC, expand pragmatic cooperation and seek common development," Hu said at the inauguration ceremony.

The Chinese government encourages and supports competent Chinese enterprises to invest in the zone and make contributions to Zambia's economic development and social progress, Hu said.

Mwanawasa pledged to further improve the investment environment and hoped that more Chinese and foreign enterprises will settle in the zone, bringing along with them know-how and expertise necessary for the development of the zone and Zambia at large.

The zone, located in Zambia's Copper Belt Province, is aimed at forming a production chain with Chambisi Copper Smelter as the core enterprise.

The construction of the zone is expected to boost the development of Zambia's light industry and the sectors of construction materials, home electrical appliances, and food processing, increase the country's exports and creating job opportunities for locals.

Zambian Finance Minister Ng'andu Magande described Hu's visit as "one of the most successful visits by a foreign head of state".

He said other donors "tend perhaps to be very political."

"People come here and talk about UN reform and conflict zones. China has decided it will take a different route, it will take an economic route," Magande said.

The walls and stage at a local conference center where the inauguration of the zone was held were festooned in red banners, a huge sign reading "Hail to Sino-Africa New-Type Strategic Partnership", in Chinese, and a huge map of the proposed economic zone. Zambian and Chinese dance troupes performed outside.

Mwanawasa said that "the people of Chambishi and the surrounding area, in particular, and the people of Zambia in general, are expected to benefit greatly from the investments earmarked for the this zone through employment creation, technology and human resource development".

He said the zone would "change the face of the Copperbelt region and, indeed, the Zambian economy in that our raw materials will now have chance to enjoy value added of unimagined proportions."

Agencies-Xinhua

(China Daily 02/06/2007 page2)