Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Fu Ziying heads a Chinese Business Delegation on a visit to five African countries, and arrived in the Central African Republic (CAR), first stop of the visit, on April 18. The visit aims at promoting China-Africa trade and economic cooperation, and stepping up the implementation of the eight new measures announced at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

On April 19, Vice Minister Fu and Sylvain Maliko, the CAR Minister of Economy, Planning and International Cooperation co-chaired the first session of China-CAR Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade. Fu said that, since the resumption of diplomatic relations, the relationship between China and the CAR has been developing well, mutual trust in politics deepened, fields of cooperation expanded, and bilateral trade and economic cooperation developing fast. To further explore the potential of China-CAR bilateral trade and economic cooperation, Vice Minister Fu put forward four suggestions: firstly, implementing the eight new measures brought up at FOCAC; secondly, continuing to provide development assistance to the CAR; thirdly, steadily promoting the development and cooperation of all kinds of fields of the two sides; fourthly, further strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation. After the conference, the two sides signed the minutes of talks of the first session China-CAR Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade and government agreement, and ceremonies for Exchange of Letters on Chinese aid projects to CAR were held.

After that, the delegation met with the CAR President Bozize at the Presidential Office. Vice Minister Fu briefed the President Bozize about the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, a series aid measures to CAR by the Chinese government, and the implementation of the eight new measures brought up at FOCAC, and expressed wish to further develop China-CAR all-round trade and economic cooperation.