Special Report: President Hu visits 8 African nations

    BEIJING, Feb. 9 -- Mozambique is the seventh stop on Hu Jintao's eight-country tour of Africa. It's the first state visit by a Chinese President since diplomatic ties were set up with Mozambique in 1975.

    Located on Africa's southeast coast, Portuguese speaking Mozambique is rich in natural resources. Forests cover about a quarter of its territory. Its reserves of tantalum ore are ranked first in the world.

    It borders South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania.

    The country has a population of 19.4 million. About 80 percent of its people live in the rural areas.

    Mozambique established diplomatic relations with China on July 25, 1975 -- the day Mozambique declared independence.

    Ties between the two countries are characterized by sound development and continued reinforcement at all levels.

    In 1976, China began sending medical teams to Mozambique. This has vastly improved health care services in the country.

    The Chinese government provides technological and financial support to help develop Mozambique's economy. The projects resulting from this assistance include a textile mill, well drilling, and improving access to water.

    Other types of cooperative ventures have been explored. Infrastructure construction and agriculture are the key areas.

    The two countries have signed several trade agreements, and set up a Joint Economic and Trade Commission in 2001. Last year trade between the two countries reached a record high of 210 million US dollars.

    There are exchange programs in the fields of culture and education as well. People from Mozambique have been trained by China in different fields to help the country face development challenges. Currently, more than 40 students from Mozambique study in universities in China. The two countries also continue to send delegations to one another to promote deeper understanding.

(Source: CCTV.com)