China will assist Zambia in addressing issues of unemployment, capacity building and skill training to ensure workers benefit from the country's economic growth, a visiting Chinese labor official has said.

Signing Monday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at harmonizing the two countries' labor relations, China's Vice Minister of Labor and Social Security Zhang Xiaojian said the MoU has built a framework for the two nations for enhanced cooperation.

Zhang said the two countries will also cooperate at international fora to protect labor laws from being infringed. He hoped that investment by the Chinese will improve the living standards of the people of Zambia.

Figures from the Zambia Investment Center show that more than 180 Chinese companies have so far invested more than 300 million U. S. dollars in areas like mining, agriculture, tourism, etc. Zhang said it is the Chinese government's stance to ensure that all Chinese investors in Zambia run businesses in accordance with the country's labor laws.

Zambia's labor deputy minister Austin Liato said at the signing ceremony that the MoU will ensure that Chinese investors understand Zambia's labor in order to enhance better working conditions for the people.

As China is becoming the fastest growing economy, Liato said Zambians stand to benefit a lot particularly in the areas of capacity building in order to enhance labor inspections.

Liato said the signing of the MoU is a positive step as it will bring good fortune to areas where difficulties were being experienced in order to achieve positive results.