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China's leader heads to Liberia China's leader boosts Liberia aid
(about 15 hours later)
Chinese President Hu Jintao is heading to Liberia, as he continues his eight nation African visit. Chinese President Hu Jintao has signed a number of agreements with Liberia in Monrovia, pledging more aid and investment to the West African nation.
Still recovering from war, Liberia has been singled out for special attention by China. The deals included the cancellation of $10m (£5m) of Liberia's debt to China and waiving duties on Liberian exports.
It stands to benefit from agreements in agriculture, education and health - but it also has resources on offer, such as iron ore, rubber and access to the sea. Mr Hu also promised to help Liberia - which is still recovering from a long civil war - tackle malaria and assist in education and agriculture.
Mr Hu has recently been in Cameroon, where he signed grants and loans worth around $100m. Mr Jintao, who is on a African tour, is visiting Sudan on Friday.
He will only have a few hours on the ground in Liberia, but that is enough time for Mr Hu and his host Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to sign several agreements opening the way for increased Chinese investment. President Jintao and his Liberian counterpart Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf signed a memorandum of understanding during their talks in Monrovia.
The deputy minister of international co-operation, Commany Wesseh, says the setting up a special economic zone near the port of Buchanan is being discussed, which could create desperately needed jobs. It included the formal signing away of $10m debt owed to Beijing.
"We are hoping that about 1,000 industries will be set up in that special economic zone," he said. "Also China has decided to give to Liberia within two years... $25m (£13m)," Liberian Information Minister Lawrence Bropleh said.
"We're talking that within 10 years we will be employing between 50,000 to a 100,000 Liberians." The money will be spent on projects to help rebuilt Liberia, following the 1989-2003 civil war that ravaged the country.
Oil exploration is another possible area for agreement. On his part, President Hu was seeking to help his country access Liberia's raw materials, including iron ore, for the rapidly-expanding Chinese economy.
But negotiating with Liberia's leader is no pushover. Mr Hu arrived in Liberia from Cameroon, where he had signed grants and loans worth around $100m.
She recently cancelled a deal the former government had made with the world's largest steel manufacturer, and then renegotiated it, ensuring that Liberians would gain more from its iron ore. From Liberia, Mr Hu heads for Sudan - a source of oil for China.
With support from the United Nations, President Sirleaf is considered to have made a good start as she tries to help Liberia recover from 14 years of war on very meagre resources. This is the most controversial of his eight-leg African tour, as the Sudanese government is accused of committing human-rights abuses in Darfur, the BBC's Will Ross in Monrovia says.
Whilst he is in the country, President Hu is expected to formally sign away $15m worth of debt which Liberia owes. Beijing has so far backed the Sudanese refusal to accept UN peacekeepers in Darfur, our correspondent says.
But that does not make much of a dent in the country's overall debt of around $3.5bn.