Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is scheduled to visit Uganda on Friday, as part of his seven-nation Africa tour.

 

Over the past four decades since the countries' establishment of diplomatic ties, more and more Chinese have set foot on the eastern African country.

 

The Chinese not only have brought commodities and technologies to Uganda, but also helped build a bridge of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

 

The Ugandans have attached great importance to overseas investment, and have enjoyed growing interest in China in particular.

 

The fast developing Chinese economy has brought vast opportunities for Uganda, a senior official from the Ugandan president's office said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

 

African countries, Uganda in particular, can learn a lot from China's great economic achievements, the official said, adding that the frequent exchanges of visit between Uganda and China have been serving this purpose.

 

However, he said, though more Chinese people are coming to Uganda, their knowledge of Uganda is "far from enough."

 

That's why Uganda's representative office in Beijing is planning initiatives to help the Chinese know more about the country, he said.

 

According to him, Uganda's ministries of trade, tourism and industries are launching an ambitious plan to attract an estimated 1 million Chinese tourists yearly through the promotion of Uganda's sites of natural beauty.

 

Bilateral trade between China and Uganda, which started in the 1960s, reached nearly US$100 million in 2005, 12.8 percent up from the previous year. Uganda's export to China has increased 71.8 percent to US$20 million while import from China increased 12.8 percent.

 

Within the framework of the China-Africa forum, China has offered zero-tariff treatment to 25 under-developed African countries, including Uganda, a bid which will further encourage Ugandan export to China.

 

Meanwhile, cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries are also steadily developing. Since 1959, China has received 345 students from Uganda and provided various forms of trainings for Ugandan people.

 

The vigorous China-Uganda economic relations are based on the countries' sound political relations and mutual trust, said Fan Guijin, China's ambassador to Uganda.

 

Uganda, one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with China, has a similar or identical stance with China on many major international issues, Fan said.

 

China and Uganda have supported and cooperated with each other on the international political arena, said Fan, adding that Uganda has firmly adhered to the one-China policy and backed China on human rights issues.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2006)