Angola has signed an agreement to further collaborate with Mainland China on mining sector research, the Angola news agency Angop reports.

The memorandum of understanding signed in Luanda on Monday should help both countries identify “new projects of common interest in geological and mining research,” according to Angop.

Angola’s State Secretary for Geology and Mining, Miguel Bondo Júnior, said the agreement contributes significantly to co-operation between the two countries. Angola and China have a record of co-operation in geosciences, including work on the National Geology Plan, known as Planageo, to create a list of geological and mineral resources in the Southern African nation.

The deal was signed by Mankenda Ambroise, the Director of the Geological Institute of Angola, and Li Jinfa, Deputy Director-General of the China Geological Survey.