DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming on Friday proposed four-point measures to further develop Sino-Tanzanian economic and trade cooperation.

    Chen made the proposal during his meeting with Tanzanian Minister of Industry and Trade Mary Nagu, noting that the bilateral economic and trade cooperation is currently developing rapidly with China's imports from Tanzania up 46.7 percent in the first 11 months in 2009 and total Chinese direct investments in the east African country exceeding 200 million U.S. dollars.

    The investment sectors have expanded to agriculture, pharmacy, mining and commodity producing from construction, textile and transportation, and a number of infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, power projects as well as water supply projects have been constructed through bilateral cooperation, the Chinese commerce minister said.

    He added that the development of Sino-Tanzanian development aid is going smoothly, and the eight measures announced at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit to promote the bilateral cooperation is comprehensively implemented.

    In order to further develop the Sino-Tanzanian economic and trade cooperation, Chen proposed four-point measures to continue expanding bilateral trade as the two sides have already exchanged documents on tax exemption to some export products to China under the new measures announced at the fourth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Nov. 8 to 9, which is beneficial to expand Tanzania's export to China.

    He also stressed the strengthening of investment cooperation, initiating the negotiation and signing agreements on investment protection and exemption of dual taxation, which will create an advantage to expand China's investment in Tanzania as well as local job opportunities.

    Another measure is described as promoting contract projects cooperation for sustainable development, and also the implement of the "eight new measures" to strengthen China-Africa cooperation announced at the fourth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, as well as enhancing development aid cooperation, according to the senior Chinese official.

    Chen expressed China's intention to listen to Tanzanian side's suggestion to work out a practical implement program to the east African country.

    For her part, Nagu said that Tanzania-China trade is developing with a high speed in recent years under the framework of the Forumon China-Africa Cooperation, with China becoming Tanzania's third largest trade partners, adding that China's latest measure to expand the sector of Tanzania's exempted tax products to China is helpful to balanced bilateral trade.

    Tanzania welcomes more Chinese companies to invest on industries such as manufacturing, expecting to strengthen development aid cooperation with China, according to the Tanzania minister.

    Also present at the meeting were Tanzanian Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Mustapha Mkulo and Minister of Energy and Minerals William Ngeleja among others.

    Chen arrived in Tanzania on Thursday evening for a three-day visit after his trip to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Mozambique.