The Chinese government hopes Lesotho will take full advantage of the newly announced preferential policies towards Africa and expand exports to China, said Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing on Monday.

In the meantime, China will continue to encourage its companies to invest and set up factories in Lesotho, and carry out cooperation in textile, light industry, household electric appliances, farm produce processing, stockbreeding and civil construction, Wen told visiting Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.

Lesotho is an underdeveloped inland country, he noted. Though China is a developing country itself, it is willing to contribute to achieving the UN millennium goals by pushing forward all-round cooperation with Lesotho and providing support to the best of its ability, he added.

Wen said he had reached extensive consensus with Mosisili on issues concerning China's full-range cooperation with Lesotho during the prime minister's China visit last year. "Our two countries have actively put into practice the fruits of your previous visit and made new headway in bilateral relations," he added.

China always holds that all countries, big or small, are equal, and is willing to make concerted efforts with Lesotho to establish future-oriented, long, stable and mutually beneficial cooperative relations based on equality, Wen said.

Mosisili expressed admiration for China's policy to treat all countries as equals and conveyed the Lesotho people's gratitude for China's support in infrastructure construction, personnel training and medical and health care services.

He said Lesotho cherishes its friendship with China and is willing to boost closer partnership, as well as enhance exchanges and cooperation, with China, adding that Lesotho welcomes Chinese investment in textile, communications and other sectors.

Mosisili arrived here on Friday for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation over the weekend.

China and Lesotho restored diplomatic relations on Jan. 12, 1994 and bilateral trade topped 56.15 million U.S. dollars in 2005.

Source: Xinhua