16:15 08/06/2015
Luanda - Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos headed on
Monday for his first official visit to China in seven years as his
country, which is Africa's second largest oil producer, struggles with
falling oil prices.
Dos Santos, who has ruled since 1979, only
makes rare trips abroad from the former Portuguese colony, which remains
one of the world's poorest countries despite its natural resources.
Dos
Santos was invited for a three-day visit to China by President Xi
Jinping, reported the government daily Jornal de Angola, adding the
stopover would seek to bring a "new impetus" to relations.
Beijing
has extended nearly $15bn of credit to Angola since 2004, including
help to finance major infrastructure projects such roads, rail lines and
even new cities.
Angola draws about 70% of its income from oil, and falling prices have hit government revenue hard.
The
country saw a decade of strong growth after the civil war ended in
2002, with development boosted by oil reserves. The government was also
courted by China, the United States and Europe.
Dos Santos could seek new credit from Beijing, according to reports in the Portuguese press.
Official figures say that about 54% of Angolans live on less than two dollars a day.
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