Visiting Chinese Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Lu Guozeng signed the agreement with Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Minister StanMudenge soon after Lu met Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Technical personnel from both countries will maintain discussions and through their discussions specific areas of support will emerge, Lu said.

Lu said China would always pay attention to the developmental needs of Zimbabwe.

He said Chinese President Hu Jintao is ready to continue strengthening the traditional friendship between the two countries.

"Our friendship is based on mutual trust and cooperation," Lu said. "It is a model for South-South cooperation."

"The international situation is undergoing changes so we should further strengthen our political and economic cooperation," he said, adding that the Zimbabwean president gave a very positive comment on bilateral relations between China and Zimbabwe.

The assistant minister arrived in the country on Sunday on a three-day working visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.

Before traveling to Zimbabwe, he attended the Africa Union summit held on July 10-12 in Mozambique as a special envoy of the Chinese government.

Relations between China and Zimbabwe started in the days of the liberation struggle in the African country when China aided liberation fighters in various ways.

Zimbabwe imports goods such as machinery, textiles, grain, clothing, light industry goods and electronic gadgets from China.

(People's Daily July 15, 2003)