Beijing, China.- The countries included in President Xi Jinping’s international trip have a strong desire for pragmatic cooperation with China, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said today.

According to spokesman Gao Feng, the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Rwanda, Mauritius and South Africa are important economic and trade partners of China in West Asia and Africa.

Economic ties between China and Senegal have grown rapidly in recent years and Beijing is now the country’s second largest trading partner and the largest source of financing, Gao added.

After both nations resumed their diplomatic ties in 2005, the relationship rose from a long-term friendly cooperative partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

On Rwanda, he explained that China is the main engineering contractor in that nation and also its most important trading partner.

Mauritius is one of the world’s free ports and leads Africa in the World Bank’s 2018 business report, the spokesman remarked.

Gao stressed that China is that country’s largest trading partner and the main source of imports.

The spokesman highlighted the excellent economic links between South Africa and China, given the Asian nation has been its largest trading partner for nine consecutive years, while Pretoria has been Beijing’s largest trading partner in Africa for the past eight years.

In addition, South Africa is China’s main investment destination, as well as the African country being the continent’s largest investor in the Asian nation.

This first international tour of the Chinese president, after being re-elected in March, will be extended until July 27.

Its main objectives are to promote cooperation within the framework of the Strip and Route initiative and to strengthen mutual political trust, amidst the unstable international situation threatened by trade protectionism.