A delegation of West Africa's public and private sector operators are due in Beijing next week for a joint forum with their Chinese counterparts in an effort to stimulate increased Chinese investment in the strategic sectors of the regional economy.

According to the African Press Organization yesterday, approximately 450 private and public sector operators are participating in the forum of which some 350 are from the private sectors of the 15 ECOWAS Member States.

The talks is a follow-up to last year's successful China-Africa Summit.

The four-day inaugural ECOWAS China Economic and Trade Forum, which will open on Sept. 23 will elevate the existing bilateral relations between China and ECOWAS Member States to a strategic partnership by exploring and concretizing agreements for Chinese investment in critical sectors.

Emphasis will be mostly being on investments in the development of infrastructure, exploitation of natural resources, agriculture, banking and other services, the report said.