Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has promised that his country will keep supporting São Tomé e Príncipe’s bid to make its economy sustainable, Xinhua reports.

The Chinese government-run news agency says Mr Li made this promise when he met São Tomé e Príncipe Prime Minister Jorge Bom Jesus in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan, where they are attending the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019.

São Tomé e Príncipe welcomes Chinese companies interested in engaging in its fisheries, tourism and infrastructure construction industries, Xinhua quotes Mr Bom Jesus as saying.

Separately, the Hainan Daily newspaper reports that Mr Bom Jesus had talks with a Hainan provincial dignitary, Mao Wanchun.

Hainan would like to co-operate with São Tomé e Príncipe in deep-water aquaculture, ocean fishing, marine environmental protection and maritime search and rescue, the Hainan Daily quotes Mr Mao as saying.