Commerce Minister Bo Xilai met with relevant ministers from Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal and Togo in Beijing on Sunday evening, exchanging views on promoting development of the cotton industry in West Africa.

 

China is willing to transfer advanced technology and send experts to western African countries in an effort to help them increase cotton production and develop the cotton industry, Bo said.

 

China will build clothing factories and textile processing bases in some western African countries, and import more cotton from western Africa so as to expand their employment and exportation, Bo said.

 

The five ministers are Senegalese Commerce Minister Mamadou Diop, Minister of Agriculture, Livestocks, Fishing of Benin Dossouhoui, Foreign Minister of Cote d'Ivoire Youssouf Bakayoko, Malian Foreign Minister Moctar Ouane and Togolese Commerce Minister Jean-Lucien Savi de Tove.

 

Western Africa is a major cotton planting region in the continent. The five ministers expressed their hope to strengthen cooperation with China in the cotton textile industry and enhance their ability in cotton processing.

 

They said the western African countries will make up concrete plans of cooperation in this area as soon as possible.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2006)