Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Hu Shouqin has been appointed the country's first special representative to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).  

China is the third country after France and the United States to appoint a special representative to COMESA, a grouping of 20 African countries and a major sub-regional body in Africa.

Hu presented his letter of authority from Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing to COMESA Secretary General Erastus Mwencha Tuesday at a ceremony at the COMESA secretariat in Lusaka, capital of Zambia.

Hu said China attaches great importance to the important role COMESA has played through concerted efforts and regional revitalization.

"In the past several decades, the Chinese government has carried out fruitful cooperation with eastern and southern African countries in the fields of politics, economy and cultural, and made positive efforts tot he economic development of this region," he said.

Hu expressed the hope that the two sides will work together to further develop the friendly relations of cooperation between China and COMESA.

Mwencha hailed the existing cordial relationship between COMESA and China.

"We values our relations with China in many ways ... China has been an all-weather friend, particularly supporting the liberation struggle in Africa and also assisting the countries in some of the sectors," he said.

He noted that China is the first non-African state to joint a COMESA institute. In January 2001, China jointed the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (PTA Bank), a deal that saw Beijing subscribe to 1,700 shares in the bank valued at US$22 million.

"The People's Republic of China is one of the major development partners of COMESA member states, in different fields particularly, transport, telecommunications and agriculture," he said.

The secretary general noted that China is now one of the world's largest and fastest growing economies and has raised the standard of its 1.2 billion population, three times of the total population of COMESA region.

"COMESA member states therefore have a lot to learn and benefit from Sino-COMESA cooperation," he said.

"With the appointment of a special representative, COMESA and China will interact on daily basis and therefore identify other areas of even higher cooperation," Mwencha said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2004)