GABORONE, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's public and private sectors have been encouraged to take full advantage of the Chinese market to grow their exports.
Policymakers and business executives made the revelation on Wednesday at an investment summit organized by the Botswana Investment and Trade Center (BITC) in Gaborone, Botswana's capital city.
As Botswana looks forward to recovering from the economic doldrums caused by COVID-19, the southern African nation is seeing the Chinese market as the answer to its economic difficulties.
The opening up of China to world imports does present export opportunities from Botswana, Kutlo Moagi, BITC's Director of Corporate Affairs, told the summit. Currently, diamond has been the main export from Botswana to China.
"Botswana like many African countries has a competitive advantage of exporting more raw materials such as copper, coal and soda ash to the Chinese market," said Moagi.
She, however, called on the country's exporters to diversify exports so as to benefit from the "lucrative Chinese market", which is big and provides immense opportunities.
Moagi said Botswana, through BITC, will continue to support local industries via the exporter development programme to improve their export readiness. Thanks to the cordial relations that exist between Botswana and China, Moagi expressed confidence that the country will benefit immensely through engaging their Chinese counterparts.
Gobusamang Keebine, Business Botswana president, said Botswana should ramp up exportation of beef and other products to the Chinese market. Enditem
