The six-day visit to China by Mozambique’s President, Filipe Nyusi, an event that started on Monday, focuses on industrial co-operation between the countries, namely natural gas exploration and manufacturing, said Su Jian, the Chinese Ambassador to the African nation.

The visit is “a milestone” in Sino-Mozambican relations and crucial in assisting the Mozambican Government on a path to sustainable development and self-reliance, Mr Su last week told Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua.

Mr Nyusi will hold talks with Chinese leaders and will visit respectively Jiangsu Province and Shandong Provinces, two of China’s most export-focused regional economies.

It is the first official visit to China by Mr Nyusi, Xinhua added.

China had also prioritised Mozambique as a “key partner” in Africa as Beijing advanced international industrial co-operation, Mr Su said.

Currently, there are approximately 80 mid-to-large Chinese companies registered in Mozambique in the fields of construction, energy, telecommunications, agriculture, retailing and hospitality, Xinhua reported. The accumulated direct investment of Chinese firms in Mozambique reached US$1.2 billion by the end of 2015, it added.