The Chinese government will grant eight more African countries
the status of approved destination for outbound Chinese tourists,
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday.?
Wen made the announcement at the opening ceremony of the Second
Ministerial Conference of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in
Addis Ababa.
The eight African countries are Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Tunisia, Seychelles, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mauritius.
"To step up our tourism cooperation with Africa, China will
grant eight more African countries the status of approved
destination for outbound Chinese tourists," Wen announced.
In 2002, the Chinese government granted Egypt, South Africa and
Morocco the status of approved destination from outbound Chinese
tourists.
Once African countries acquired the status of "approved
destination for outbound Chinese tourists," Chinese tourists can
travel to these countries at their own expenses under the
organization of Chinese travel agencies, according to officials
from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2003)