打造南共体海运贸易枢纽——专访安哥拉驻华大使若昂·萨尔瓦多·多斯桑托斯·内图 （Joo Salvador dos Santos Neto）

“安哥拉政府通过建设本格拉铁路，旨在促进国家经济发展，同时，也希望本格拉铁路能够提高沿线国家民众的生活水平。”安哥拉驻华大使若昂·萨尔瓦多·多斯桑托斯·内图（Joo Salvador dos Santos  Neto）在接受《中国投资》采访时表示。他说，“本格拉铁路建成通车后，安哥拉政府正在订定新的经济发展规划。政府将与中国企业合作，计划在铁路起点——安哥拉港口城市洛比托建立自由贸易区，目前，项目前期工作已启动。

《中国投资》：本格拉铁路是安哥拉洛比托经济走廊的重要通道，规划中就是要与周边国家接轨，实现南部非洲的互联互通，请您介绍这条铁路的情况。

若昂·萨尔瓦多·多斯桑托斯·内图（Joo Salvador dos Santos Neto）：本格拉铁路是安哥拉最长的铁路，长度为1344公里，铁路西起大西洋港口城市洛比托，东至与刚果民主共和国接壤的边境城市卢奥，横穿安哥拉南部地区。这条铁路对安哥拉经济发展非常重要，因为它起点在安哥拉的港口城市洛比托，这是安哥拉非常重要的港口，安哥拉大部分进出口贸易依托于该港口进行，因此，本格拉铁路对于提高洛比托港口进出口贸易水平具有重要意义。

这本铁路原先以货运为主，主要运输矿产品，目前，更多用于客运，这对南部非洲经济发展具有极大的推动作用。本格拉铁路辐射范围非常广，不仅辐射安哥拉南部省份，也辐射到周边国家，因此，本格拉铁路不仅推动安哥拉经济发展，也为南部非洲国际贸易的发展发挥着重要的作用。这条铁路不仅提升货物运输水平，也促进了当地旅游业发展。

《中国投资》：请您谈谈安哥拉的港口贸易情况如何？

若昂·萨尔瓦多·多斯桑托斯·内图（Joo Salvador dos Santos Neto）：洛比托港口是安哥拉非常重要的港口，除此之外，罗安达港是安哥拉另一重要港口。全国大部分进出口贸易依托这两个港口进行。安哥拉目前正处于经济发展阶段，因此，港口贸易对提升我们的经济发展水平非常重要。比如，刚果金的货物通过本格拉铁路运到洛比托港，然后再进行进出口贸易。港口经济是安哥拉经济发展的主要依托，我相信，随着本格拉铁路的正常运行，未来洛比托港口会越来越好。安哥拉周边的一些内陆国家，由于没有出海口，他们的货物运输到海外非常困难。现在，这些国家的产品可以通过本格拉铁路运输到安哥拉的港口，再源源不断地输送到海外。目前，安哥拉政府越来越认识到洛比托港口和本格拉铁路的重要性，因此，国家目前正加大力度对其进行建设，助推经济繁荣和旅游业发展。目前，安哥拉经济正面临挑战，我们希望通过对铁路和港口的建设，把我国经济发展带入新阶段。

《中国投资》：随着本格拉铁路与坦赞铁路贯通连接，国际贸易是否会进一步得到发展？

若昂·萨尔瓦多·多斯桑托斯·内图（Joo Salvador dos Santos Neto）：本格拉铁路建设不仅为安哥拉经济发展注入活力，也带动了周边国家经济的发展。铁路延伸到周边国家，与坦赞铁路连接，成为南部非洲重要经济走廊，带动了安哥拉周边国家赞比亚，坦桑尼亚，刚果（金）的发展。本格拉铁路也成为连接非洲南部国家发展的连接线，维系着大西洋内陆国家的经济发展。

《中国投资》：本格拉铁路的开通，对南部非洲国家意味着什么？有哪些期待？

若昂·萨尔瓦多·多斯桑托斯·内图（Joo Salvador dos Santos Neto）：安哥拉与赞比亚、坦桑尼亚、刚果（金）政府都对这本格拉铁路和洛比托港口非常重视，四国总统一致认为，本格拉铁路和洛比托港口对南部非洲的发展起到关键作用。安哥拉政府通过建设本格拉铁路，旨在促进国家经济发展，同时，也希望本格拉铁路的开通能够提高沿线国家民众的生活水平。这条铁路建设离不开安哥拉政府和中国政府和企业的支持。我们使用中国提供的贷款，依靠中国的先进技术，帮助我们建成这条铁路。我们非常高兴看到铁路正式运行，同时，我们希望继续得到中国的资金和技术支持，帮助安哥拉的经济发展。

我想补充一点，我对中国四通八达的铁路网络非常惊讶。在中国国内出差，铁路是我的优先选择，因为，铁路出行更舒适，高效，由此可见，发达的铁路网对国家经济发展至关重要。

《中国投资》：随着这条铁路线的建成，安哥拉将会有新的产业布局和规划吗？

若昂·萨尔瓦多·多斯桑托斯·内图（Joo Salvador dos Santos Neto）：本格拉铁路自2015年建成通车至今，运行良好。在此基础上，目前，安哥拉正在制订一项经济发展规划。本格拉铁路贯穿安哥拉许多重要的农业省，基于目前国内正在积极发展经济的前提下，我相信这条铁路将会为这些省市各领域发展增添活力。围绕这条铁路，安哥拉政府正在与中国企业洽谈，将合作在洛比托市建立自由贸易区，并在贸易区内建设一个化工产业园。安哥拉政府希望洛比托自由贸易区辐射本格拉铁路经济走廊以及周边国家，为此，政府正在制订中长期规划。参与合作的中国公司已经开始前期工作，工作组进入项目所在地进行考察，并与总统进行面谈，与安哥拉当地企业多次交流沟通，其中包括中国公司与一些外国公司。

⬆ 洛比托车站

英文版

SADC Sea Trade Hub in Angola

——Interview with João Salvador dos Santos Neto, Ambassador of Angola to China

By ZhangMei   China Investment

“The Angolan government aims to promote the country’s economic development through the construction of the Benguela Railway. It also hopes that the Benguela Railway will improve the living standards of the people in the countries along the route.” Angola’s Ambassador to China João Salvador dos Santos Neto said in an interview with China Investment Magazine.
He said, ‘After the completion of the Benguela Railway, the Angolan government is setting a new economic development plan. The government will cooperate with Chinese enterprises and plan to establish a Free Trade Zone at the starting point of the railway – the port city of Lobito in Angola. Currently, the project is in the early stages of development.

China Investment: The Benguela Railway is the longest railway in China’s overseas construction. It is planned to connect with neighboring countries and achieve the interconnection of southern Africa. Please introduce its situation.

João Salvador dos Santos Neto: The Benguela Railway is the longest railway in Angola, with a length of 1,344 kilometers.
The railway starts from the Atlantic port city of Lobito in the west and stretches east to the town of Luau bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This railway is very important for the economic development of Angola. It is part of the Lobito Corridor and it makes possible the connection to the cities of Beira (Mozambique) and Dar-es-Salam (Tanzania) trough through Zambia’s railway lines.  
The railway was originally based on industrial use, mainly transporting mineral products. At present, it is more domestically used for passenger and goods transport, but the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) is in an advanced stage of agreements to increase the free movement of people and goods and in this regard, Benguela Railway is expected to play a key role in boosting the regional trade and tourism.

As you can see, the Benguela Railway has a very wide range of reach, not only to the southern provinces of Angola but also to neighboring countries. Therefore, the Benguela Railway not only promotes the economic development of Angola, but also plays an important role in the development of international trade in southern Africa.

China Investment: What is the port trade situation in Angola?

João Salvador dos Santos Neto: The ports of Lobito and Luanda are the major harbors in Angola, most of the country’s imports and exports are carried out through these two ports. Angola is currently in the stage of diversifying the economy? and port trade is a very important support.

The Seaport of Lobito is strategically interconnected to the Benguela Railway network to facilitate neighboring landlocked countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to send and receive maritime shipments to and from other parts of the world.

I believe that the normal operation of the Benguela Railway will contribute to the growth of this seaport. 

At present, the Angolan government is increasingly aware of the importance of the Seaport of Lobito and the Benguela Railway. Therefore, the country is currently increasing its efforts to modernize these two infrastructures.

I would like to acknowledge that Angola was only able to execute and complete such large projects, thanks to the financial support and contribution of the Chinese government, as well as the Chinese companies who provided us with their manpower, technical capacity and commitment.

China Investment: With the connection between the Benguela Railway and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, will international trade be further developed?

João Salvador dos Santos Neto: The construction of the Benguela Railway does not only drive the economic development of Angola but also of the neighboring countries.

The railway extends to neighboring countries and connects with the Tanzania-Zambia Railway. It has become an important economic corridor in southern Africa.  This railway network facilitates the neighboring countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia in transportation of copper and cobalt from their mining belts to the Atlantic Seaport of Lobito.

China Investment: How does Angola and neighboring countries coordinate and cooperate on railways and seaports to help other countries connect to the sea?

João Salvador dos Santos Neto: The governments of Angola, Zambia, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo attach great importance to the Benguela Railway and the Port of Lobito. The Presidents of the four countries agreed that Benguela Railway and the Port of Lobito play a key role in the development of southern Africa.

At the same time, it hopes that the opening of the Benguela Railway will improve the living standards of the people in the countries along the route.

The Beneguela Railway and the Seaport of Lobito were completely rebuilt and modernized, under a Chinese public works project, in order to meet the economic development challenges of Angola and other countries that benefit from these infrastructures.  We used the loans provided by China and rely on China’s advanced technology to help us build this railway.

We are very happy to see the official operation of the railway. At the same time, we hope to continue getting financial and technical support from China to help Angola’s economic development.

I would like to add that one of the many things that I admire, in China, is precisely its railways network that reaches all parts of the territory, is modern and very efficient. It can be seen that the developed railway network is vital to the country’s economic development.

China Investment: With the completion of this railway line, will Angola have new industrial layout and planning?

João Salvador dos Santos Neto: The Benguela Railway has been in full operation since its opening in 2015. On this basis, Angola is currently developing an export-led trade plan to make this infrastructure profitable. The Benguela Railway runs through many important agricultural provinces in Angola.

Based on the current domestic development of the economy, I believe that this railway will add vitality to the development of these provinces and cities around this railway.

On other hand, the Angolan government is negotiating with Chinese companies to establish in Lobito a Free Trade Zone and to build an industrial park that may include a petrochemical unit.

The Angolan government hopes that the Lobito Free Trade Zone will boost the trade along the Benguela Railway and in neighboring countries at medium and long-terms.

The Chinese companies involved in the cooperation have already started the preliminary work. The working group went to the project site to conduct inspections, had a meeting with the President of the Republic of Angola and with some local and foreign companies.