"It is the first time that a Chinese steelmaker has invested in our company. Duferco has long held the belief that our long-term future lies firmly alongside the developing economies."

Matthew De Morgan, Duferco's CEO, after Tangshan Iron and Steel Group Co acquired a 10 percent stake in Switzerland's Duferco International Trade Holding, the world's biggest steel trader, in a move to further expand its overseas market.

"The African economy is launching and China's similar development experience makes us believe that Africa is on the right track."

Chi Jianxin, president of the China-Africa Development Fund, the country's largest equity investment fund focusing on African investment. The fund was founded after then-president Hu Jintao pledged to set it up at the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2006. It had committed more than $2.4 billion (1.86 billion euros) in investment to over 60 projects in 30 African countries by the end of February.

"It's no doubt that one day China will become our second-largest market after the US and it's possible that, over many years, potentially the largest one."

Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO, saying that China has the potential to become the company's top market, highlighting the coffeehouse giant's confidence in the Asia-Pacific market. Announcing the company's fiscal 2012 record revenue of $13.3 billion (10.3 billion euros) on March 20, Schultz noted the company has achieved "stunning success" in China.

(China Daily 03/29/2013 page14)