CHINESE Ambassador to Zambia, Li Qiangmin has called on Chinese nationals who have invested in Zambia to observe and respect the labour laws of the country.

Mr Li said the Chinese nationals investing in Zambia should ensure that they adhered to the existing labour laws obtaining in the country.

The ambassador said his government would continue to educate its nationals on the need to observe and respect the laws of the country.

Mr Li also paid tribute to President Rupiah Banda's Government for creating an enabling environment for investment, pledging the Chinese government's continued support in various developmental programmes.

In an interview in Lusaka, Mr Li said his government, through his embassy, would continue providing information to its nationals who had interest in investing in Zambia.

"I want to say that my government, through our embassy, will continue to educate our Chinese nationals on the importance of respecting the laws of the land because this is the only way to resolve some of the misunderstandings," he said.

The Chinese envoy said giving information was necessary because the Chinese could only contribute positively to the country's economy if they understood the laws of the country in which they were operating.

He said his government was happy that President Banda's Government had continued to show commitment through its open-door policy, which had made Zambia attract more foreign investments of late.

The Chinese envoy said Zambia and China had over the years enjoyed good relations and he was confident such cooperation would grow even stronger in the years to come.

Mr Li said Zambia would remain the number one investment destination by Chinese investors while its aid to Zambia is expected to increase next year.

He said his government was also exploring other new areas of investment and reiterated support in various developmental programmes aimed at lifting the living standards of Zambians as well as employment opportunities.

Mr Li commended the Zambian Government for putting in place measures aimed at avoiding closure of companies and loss of jobs during the global economic recession.

The envoy was confident that the Zambian economy was heading for a boom going by the economic activities witnessed so far.