Congo leader ends China trip

The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Laurent Kabila, is leaving China today after a visit during which he held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Jiang Zemin.

Mr Kabila visited a mining area in central China and the special economic zone in Shenzen in the south.

The BBC correspondent in Beijing says Mr Kabila praised China's economy and appeared to be impressed by Chinese technology.

For its part, the Chinese government said it would encourage companies to invest in Congo and help its economic development.

China and Taiwan are traditional rivals for influence in Africa.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service