IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Trade between South Africa and China rose 32 percent last year compared with the year before, the Trade and Industry Minister of South Africa Rob Davies said on March 12.

Two-way trade between the two rose from 205 billion rand ($19.2 billion) in 2012 to 270 billion rand at the end of last year, he said.

There is scope to expand South Africa's exports to China in value-added manufactured products, particularly as the Chinese economy continued to register strong growth rates, Davies said.

Pledges of solidarity as envoy departs

China and Ghana have pledged to strengthen bilateral ties in the years ahead.

The pledge was made when Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Gong Jianzhong visited Ghana President John Dramani Mahama in Accra to bid farewell after completing his three-and-half-year tenure. Gong said the two peoples and their governments had always supported, helped and learned from each other since diplomatic relations were established by leaders of the two countries for than 50 years ago.

Mahama said Ghana would court Chinese help as it tried to turn events of small-scale illegal mining into a positive development between the two countries.

Trade between the countries now exceeds $5 billion a year.

Call for more help with infrastructure

China's involvement in the development of Zambia's infrastructure could not have come at a better time than now, when Zambia needs to attract foreign investors, analysts say.

China is among countries that have taken a lead in helping Zambia develop its infrastructure.

Francis Chigunta, a development expert and lecturer in development studies at the University of Zambia, said: "Infrastructure in Zambia has been in a deplorable state for a long time, and we thank China for having come at an opportune time like now, when it is doing a good job in investing in the country's infrastructure."

Langton Sichone, a political and economic analyst, said that while China's support in developing infrastructure in Zambia could not be ignored, technological transfer was critical to help Zambia maintain infrastructure.

Brothers of struggle on same footing: FM

China and Africa are good brothers and partners who collaborate as equals, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says.

In its cooperation with Africa, China has never been condescending, has never interfered in the internal affairs of African countries and has never issued a blank check, Wang said in Beijing on March 8, on the sidelines of the annual session of China's top legislature.

"We have helped African countries build more than 1,000 projects and we have never attached any conditions to these projects.

"China and Africa are good brothers who share weal and woe. When China was a poor country, we tightened our belt to support the cause of national independence and liberation of our African brothers."

Wang said it was also African brothers who got the People's Republic of China back into the United Nations.

Proposed rail line to link Lhasa, Nyingchi

Construction is set to begin this year on a railway linking Lhasa and Nyingchi prefecture in the Tibet autonomous region, top Tibetan officials said on March 5 in Beijing.

Lobsang Jamcan, chairman of the Tibet autonomous region, told Tibetan deputies to the National People's Congress that the government is "preparing to begin building the Lhasa-Nyingchi railway".

The new line will cost an estimated 30 billion yuan ($4.9 billion; 3.5 billion euros).

President to visit Europe this month

President Xi Jinping will make his first trip as head of state to Europe "a priority for China's diplomatic agenda this year" later in March to "open a new chapter" in Sino-European relations, China's top diplomat said on March 8.

"Cooperation is the key word in relations between China and Europe, and both sides will work to align their respective developmental strategies during Xi's visit," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

Wang highlighted priorities such as science and technological innovation, energy and environmental conservation, a new type of urbanization, connectivity, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Life in Shanghai costs more than New York

Shanghai has climbed to No 21 on the world's most-expensive city list, overtaking New York for the first time, according to a global cost-of-living survey.

The Economist Intelligence Unit measured the cost of living in 131 global cities, using New York as the base. With a score of 101 against New York's 100, Shanghai rose nine places from last year.

All Chinese cities moved higher on the index, with Shanghai seeing the fastest rise. Five years ago, the city was ranked 45th.

Hong Kong took fifth place in Asia and 13th in the world. Shenzhen was the second-most-expensive Chinese mainland city in 39th place.

Cities fail to meet national air standards

Only three of China's 74 major cities met national air-quality standards last year, a senior official said.

The government set PM2.5 limits for the first time in 2012. PM2.5 refers to particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which are considered extremely hazardous since they penetrate deeper into the lungs than larger particles.

Wu Xiaoqing, vice-minister of environmental protection, said all the cities except Hainan province's capital Haikou, Zhejiang province's Zhoushan and the Tibet autonomous region's capital, Lhasa, exceeded the standard in 2013.

Beijing and its neighbors Tianjin municipality and Hebei province experienced the heaviest air pollution last year, when PM2.5 levels averaged 106 micrograms per cubic meter, ministry data showed.

Dialogue called foron Ukraine crisis

Beijing is open to any constructive proposal or suggestion that can help ease tensions in Ukraine, President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Barack Obama on March 10 in a phone call on the crisis.

Xi called for all parties concerned to remain calm and exercise restraint.

"China takes an objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue," Xi said, adding that the situation is of "great complexity". He urged the parties involved to settle differences through dialogue and to seek a political settlement.

Race on for hub status on Maritime Silk Road

China's coastal provinces are trying to become the key hubs along the new "Maritime Silk Road", a national initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Fujian is one of the areas that has been actively engaged in developing its ports, particularly the one in Quanzhou, a city recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as the starting point of the maritime silk road, said Zheng Xincong, mayor of Quanzhou.

With current cargo capacity of more than 1.7 million TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent units, the Quanzhou port has embarked on a large infrastructure development program to increase total capacity.

China Daily - Xinhua

(China Daily Africa Weekly 03/14/2014 page2)