China and Angola have signed a co-operation protocol under which China will send a team of medical professionals to the African nation, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.

China’s Ambassador to Angola, Cui Aimin, and Angola’s State Secretary for Co-operation at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ângela Bragança, signed the protocol on Tuesday in the Angolan capital, Luanda. The medical team is the fourth to be sent by China to Angola, under a programme between the two countries that offers free medical assistance to Angolans, the report said.

Mr Cui was quoted as saying the 12-member team would include specialists in the fields of orthopedics, pediatrics and acupuncture. They would work for two years at Luanda General Hospital, a facility built with Chinese funding.

“We will also make a second donation of medical supplies to Angola, which will be worth 6.5 million yuan [US$974,000]. This donation is being prepared and will arrive in Luanda soon,” the Ambassador added.

According to Mr Cui, China had already offered Angola a US$500,000-donation aimed at fighting a yellow fever outbreak there.

Ms Bragança said the new protocol represented a sign of friendship between the two countries. She also thanked China for its continuous support of Angola.