Sino-African trade passes $100 bln mark in 2008

BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Chinese media) -- Sino-African trade reached a "historic" level

of 106.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2008, China's Ministry of Commerce said

Tuesday.

Bilateral trade was 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2000 but has since grown at

an average year-on-year rate of more than 30 percent, the ministry said.

China's cumulative investment in Africa from 2000 to 2008 was more than 5

billion U.S. dollars, according to the ministry.

Commerce Minister Cheng Deming, who paid an eight-day visit to Africa

earlier this month, has called progress in bilateral trade "remarkable."