China will provide more assistance to the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) and Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) over the next few years, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said on Monday during 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 said.

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

At the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation scheduled for November, China will propose new measures to help and accelerate the development of African countries, Li added.

China has provided assistance or grants to 49 LDCs on 1,701 occasions, canceled 172 debts of 36 LDCs, and given tariff-free treatment to some exports from those LDCs that have 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 the Asia-Pacific, and the other two are in West Asia and the Caribbean.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2006)