Gaborone – Botswana and China held an economic and trade conference on Wednesday to seek more opportunities to promote cooperation and relations between the two countries.

Senior officials and diplomats from Botswana and China attended the first meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic, Trade, Investment and Technical Cooperation in the Botswana.

Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce Qian Keming said that the meeting will consolidate the long-term relationship between China and Botswana.

Botswana and China

Qian Qichen said: “We are willing to actively and steadily strengthen mutually beneficial friendly cooperation between the two countries in the coming period and bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples.”

Botswana’s acting international affairs and cooperation minister, Nonofo Molefhi, said his country regards China as a strategic partner for development and hopes to see China’s increased participation in Botswana’s economic diversification.

Molefhi said that Botswana is open to investment to increase production capacity and promote the urgent need for skills and technology transfer. Botswana will use the platform of the first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo next month to showcase products and attract investment.