'Made in Africa' products get the boost

BEIJING - Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming said Friday that the shift of some Chinese industries to African countries has boosted the competitiveness of products made on the continent.

An increasing number of Chinese enterprises are eyeing the competitive advantages of labor and consumer markets in Africa, and have started to move their production there, Chen said in an interview with Xinhua.

Aside from creating jobs, the industrial relocation has also extended the value chain of "Made in Africa" products and made these products more competitive in the global market, Chen said after the conclusion of the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

"China-African cooperation is a mutually beneficial process," Chen said, citing that China's aid had boosted Africa's buying ability, which helped increase its imports from China, and by providing aid projects, China has increased exports of building materials to Africa.

Regarding China-African cooperation prospects, Chen said China will adjust cooperation ways to forge a new type of bilateral partnership. These changes include providing more technique teaching, strengthening sub-regional cooperation in Africa, and creating favorable environments for cultural and economic exchanges.

Chen said the new cooperative measures announced at the FOCAC's fifth ministerial meeting have highlighted the focus of China-Africa cooperation in improving African people's well-being, promoting Africa's self development capacity, and supporting Africa's integration.

He said his ministry will later specify the new measures, solicit opinions from the African side, then work out implementation plans with the help of related Chinese government departments.

The FOCAC is a collective consultation and dialogue mechanism between China and African countries launched in 2000. This year's ministerial meeting of the forum ran from Thursday to Friday.