At the Seminar on the Export of Traditional Chinese Medical Products and Technologies to Africa on Wednesday, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Commerce Wei Jianguo said China and Africa had enjoyed a long history of friendship and cooperation, and the Chinese government attached great importance to cooperation with Africa in traditional medicine.

The African people had learned more about traditional Chinese medicine since China first sent medical teams to Africa in 1963, he said.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in October 2000 effectively boosted the economic and trade relations between the two sides, he said, noting that the total trade volume between China and Africa amounted to US$12.389 billion last year, 15 times that of 1979, he said.

There was great potential for Sino-African cooperation in traditional Chinese medicine. China exports traditional medicines worth US$600 million to more than 130 countries and regions a year while the export volume to Africa was only US$10 million.

Africa had rich plant resources for medical use while China had the processing technology, based on complete theories formed over thousands of years of practice, said Lin Lin, vice-director of the Department of African Affairs under the Foreign Ministry.

Lin said China had sent medical staff to 43 African nations, including 97 specialists in traditional medicine and acupuncture, and many African young people were studying in Chinese medical universities.

Medicine was one of the major topics at the coming second senior officials meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. China and African nations had well-established cooperation in this field, said Cameroon Ambassador to China Eleih-Elle Etian, also head of the African diplomatic missions in China. He urged more Chinese enterprises to produce drugs and train pharmacists in Africa.

Also present at the seminar were embassy officials from 10 African countries and representatives of major Chinese medical enterprises.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2003)