China will provide more assistance to the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) and High Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) over the next few years, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said on Monday in remarks at the High- Level Meeting for Mid-term Review of Program for Action for LDCs.

"As China's economy grows, we will involve ourselves more in South-South cooperation and do more to support the LDCs. In the next few years, we will increase the scale of assistance to the LDCs and HIPCs," Li Zhaoxing said.

China will increase imports from the LDCs, extend tariff-free treatment to move of their exports to China and help them train more management and technological personnel, Li Zhaoxing said.

Moreover, at the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in November, China will propose new measures to help and accelerate the development of African countries, Li Zhaoxing said.

Li Zhaoxing added that China had provided assistance or grants to 49 LDCs on 1701 occasions, completed 799 in LDCs, canceled 172 debts of 36 LDCs, and given tariff-free treatment to some exports from the LDCs having diplomatic ties with China.

According to the UN, there are a total of 50 LDCs in the world, 34 of which are in Africa. There are 14 LDCs in Asia and the Pacific region and the other two are located in Western Asia and the Caribbean area respectively.

Source: Xinhua