Trade between China and Angola grew by 42 per cent year-on-year in 2021, reaching US$23.35 billion, the Chinese ambassador to Angola, Gong Tao, has announced.
He added that trade has already reached US$14.42 billion in the first half of this year, an increase of 33 per cent, with China continuing to be Angola’s main economic partner.
Gong Tao revealed that negotiations continue concerning the exemption of customs tariffs for Angolan exports to China, which are led by oil, followed by ornamental stones.
In May a freighter departed for China carrying 50,000 tons of granite bound for China, which also imports other minerals, aluminium and copper.
On the Chinese side, home appliances, machinery and equipment, as well as vehicles, are exported, with Chinese cars proving popular in the Angolan market, said Gong Tao.
He highlighted that the objective is to strengthen cooperation and facilitate trade, noting that about two months ago an air cargo transport agreement was signed, creating the Changsha/Luanda/São Paulo (China/Angola/Brazil) route.
“China is optimistic about Angola’s economic development,” stressed Tao, adding that the Chinese side is “keen to help in the transport of goods” and for there to be more choices in the transport of Chinese and Angolan products.
“Angola is experiencing economic growth and China, with its population of 1.4 billion, is increasingly becoming an attractive consumer market,” he said.
He also presented investment figures, noting that between 2018 and 2021, 24 investment projects by Chinese companies worth US$225 million were initiated, with China occupying third place in the ranking of foreign investment in Angola.
The Chinese ambassador pointed out the opportunities for strengthening cooperation in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of China-Angola diplomatic relations, on 12 January 2023, and underlined that when peace was restored in Angola, 20 years ago, it was China who “swiftly stretched out its hands” to help rebuild the African republic.
He listed the infrastructures that the Chinese side helped to build, including more than 2,800 kilometres of railways, 100,000 dwellings and 20,000 kilometres of roads, as well as schools, hospitals, dams and ports to demonstrate that cooperation has had mutual benefits and highlighted that China “knew how to understand the difficulties on the Angolan side” and adopt a debt moratorium, which currently amounts to US$21.4 billion during the Covid-19 pandemic phase.
He also noted that in the last five years bilateral relations had progressed in all areas, with meetings between the two heads of state, João Lourenço and Xi Jinping, which allowed reaching an “important consensus”, considering that the partnership with Angola is a model of China-Africa cooperation.
Asked about complaints of discrimination and conflicts between Angolan workers and Chinese companies, he said that Chinese companies are encouraged to give “good treatment to their workers, whether Chinese, Angolan or of another nationality”.
He also guaranteed that China is committed to the transfer of knowledge and technology to Angola, giving for example, Huawei, which created an office park in Luanda with training and research centres, CLBrief reported.
