Uganda is looking to the East for sustained economic growth and will set up a model of its own development from an underdeveloped country to a developing one, said Uganda's Vice President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya.

"When you go to English speaking countries they think something made in England is the best, when you go to French speaking countries, something made in France is the best," Bukenya said

Bukenya said that the Ugandan government has decided to look into the success of three Asian countries -- China, India and Malaysia, instead of Europe, before making its national policy on development.

He said all these three countries has the experience, which Uganda and other African countries need most in speeding up their own economy.

Bukenya believed that Uganda would benefit a lot if it continued to import from China technologies in area of information and telecommunication, medical equipment, and automobile sectors.

"If we had technology to add value to our exports and have more final products, we would benefit more," he said.

"If you process passion fruit here into concentrate, then we can export it to China. Our interest is to introduce China's technologies. And We have introduced a lot," he added.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni left on Wednesday morning for Beijing, China to attend the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to be held on Friday, which is to bring together more than 40 heads of state or government from Africa.

Bilateral trade between the two countries reached nearly 100 million U.S. dollars in 2005, with Uganda's exports to China registering a 71.8 percent increase to 20 million dollars.

The vice president said that the two sides had already made efforts to reduce the trade gap as Uganda was exploring more business opportunities in the Chinese market.

In the last few years, Uganda has adopted an opening-up policy by offering favorable terms to attract big investors.

Bukenya said he was confident that under a more favorable investment environment, big Chinese investors would be attracted to invest in the east African country.

Source: Xinhua