Angolan President João Lourenço has authorised the purchase by his government of US$85 million worth of Chinese military equipment, Novo Jornal reports, citing the document granting authority.

The document says the equipment will better enable Angola to defend its territory and the airspace above it, according to a report carried by the Angolan newspaper last week.

The document gives effect to a deal to buy military equipment and technical help with using it from state-owned China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corp., Novo Jornal says.

In 2019 the Chinese government-run news agency, Xinhua, quoted Mr Lourenço as telling Chinese Central Military Commission Senior Vice-chairman Xu Qiliang when they met in Luanda that his government was seeking greater Sino-Angolan cooperation in defence matters.