LUSAKA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu
Jintao ended his two-day state visit to Zambia Monday and left for Windhoek,
Namibia, to continue his eight-nation tour of Africa.
Soon after his arrival Saturday, President Hu had
talks with his Zambian counterpart Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. They discussed ways
of enhancing friendship and economic and trade cooperation between the two
countries. Following their talks, the two countries signed eight cooperation
documents.
On Sunday, President Hu met former Zambian President
Kenneth Kaunda, and attended the inauguration ceremony of a Zambia-China
economic cooperation zone, the first one to be set up by China in Africa.
At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation in November, President Hu announced that China will establish three
to five trade and economic cooperation zones in Africa over the next three
years.
Since China and Zambia established diplomatic
relations in 1964, the two countries have maintained what Kaunda described as an
"all-weather friendship."
The Tanzara Railway, built with the assistance of
China, is a symbol of friendship and cooperation between China and Africa.
In recent years, China and Zambia have expanded their
cooperation in other sectors, such as agriculture, textiles and education. In
2005, the bilateral trade volume reached 300 million US dollars.
President Hu's Africa trip has already taken him to
Cameroon, Liberia and Sudan and he will continue his visit to Namibia, South
Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles.