Increasing Chinese investment has been bringing more benefits to Zambia and the growing bilateral trade, with a considerable surplus on the Zambian side, is also a bless to people of both countries, a Chinese envoy said on May 17 (Wednesday).

Zhao Zhanbin, Counselor of Chinese Embassy in Zambia, said in an interview that Chinese investment in the country has increased more than three folds in 2005 to 41 million U.S. dollars, which bring accumulated investment up to 316 million dollars since the establishment of bilateral relations between the duo.

"China has become the third largest investor in Zambia after South Africa and Britain, which is a clear indication that Zambia's investment environment is attractive to Chinese investors," Zhaosaid.

He said investment in Zambia's various economic sectors such asagriculture and mining would bring huge revenue to the Zambian government and consequently contribute to the country's gross domestic product.

 "In the meantime, investment will create job opportunities to local people and improve their living conditions," the envoy said.

Chinese investors in Zambia are employing more than 10,000 local workers, some of them work as senior managers, according to Zhao.

"More encouraging is the trade sector with Zambia enjoying a tremendous surplus over China," Zhao said.

He revealed that last year China imported cotton, tobacco, copper and other products from Zambia worth 252 million dollars while exports to the country stood at 48 million dollars.

Zhao noted that not all these imported materials are consumed in China or by Chinese themselves.

"China is a very good investment cite and many multinational companies have allocated their manufacturing plants there. That's why demand of raw material is high in China," he said.

"Don't forget that after these raw materials are processed intofinished products, they are exported all over the world," he added."That's why you can find China-made goods even here in Zambia."