Visiting Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe on Thursday expressed the hope for further expanding trade with China, particularly in textiles and agriculture.

"My visit to Shanghai aims primarily at enhancing our cooperation on trade and investment," Faure told Shanghai Vice-Mayor Tang Dengjie, who briefed Faure on Shanghai's economic development in recent years.

This is Faure's first China tour since he assumed the presidency last May.

As China's biggest port city, Shanghai's economic boom has attracted worldwide attention, Faure said. "Chinese businessmen are welcome to invest in Togo."

The trade between Shanghai and Togo has kept increasing over the past few years, as statistics showed that the import and export volume in 2005 rose nearly 30 percent.

Faure flew to Shanghai at noon Thursday from Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the second leg of his week-long tour.

During his stay in Shanghai, Faure visited towering Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai City Exhibition Center Thursday afternoon.

The visit will also take Faure to Yangshan Deep-water Harbor, a mega-port project on the Eastern China Sea.

Source: Xinhua