Beijing- The Head of State, João Lourenço, arrived this Thursday in Beijing, for a three-day state visit to China aimed to strengthen bilateral ties.
At the Beijing Capital International Airport, the Angolan statesman, who did not speak to the press, received welcome greetings by high-ranking Angolan and Chinese figures, in particular the Angolan Foreign Affairs minister, Téte António.
João Lourenço is in the Asian country for the third time since he was elected President of the Republic in 2017, for a first term, and in 2022 for a second.
On Friday, the first day of his visit, the Angolan Head of State will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and hold talks that could result in the signing of various agreements.
The Angolan leader will also meet with the Chinese Prime Minister, Li Qiang, and the Speaker of the National People's Assembly (Parliament), Zhao Leji.
A joint statement should be released following João Lourenço's conversations with the highest entities in the People's Republic of China.
It also highlighted the participation in a business forum, where the topic of investment in Angola will be at the centre of the debates, as well as audiences for local businesspeople who are already operating in the national market or want to do so in the future.
In the last day of the visit, Sunday, João Lourenço will be in the province of Xandong, aiming to hold contacts with those responsible for the productive sectors in the textile, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries.
Angola and China are strategic partners, with political and diplomatic cooperation relations that have grown significantly since the year 2000, leading to the signing of various legal instruments in the social, commercial and business fields.
Since 2007, Angola has been China's largest trading partner in Africa, with a turnover totalling 24.8 billion US dollars in 2010 alone.
In 2017, the value of trade with China rose by 61.32% in the first quarter, to USD 5.55 billion.
At the end of 2018, China approved a new financing line of USD 2 billion.
In 2022, Angola regained its position as China's second largest partner in Africa, which it lost in 2020.
Trade between the two countries totalled more than USD 22 billion from January to November 2022.
In the first decade of the 2000s, Angola requested ts first financing from China and subsequently the reinforcement of credits.
FMA/VIC/MRA/jmc
