The government of the central Chinese province of Hubei has led 10 or more grain or edible oil companies in the province in putting on business promotion seminars in southern Africa, including one in Mozambique, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce says.

The ministry issued a written statement saying the purpose of the seminars was to promote Sino-African co-operation in growing grain, processing it and trading it.

The seminar in Mozambique led to five Hubei companies signing deals with a combined value of 1.2 billion yuan (US$179.15 million), the Ministry of Commerce says.