"Now is the best time for Asia, especially China, to cooperate with Africa. There will be a quantitative and qualitative surge in cooperation."

Wei Jianguo, secretary-general of the China Center for International Economic Exchange Center, commenting during a panel discussion on the rise of Africa at the Boao Forum. Wei quoted President Xi Jinping's remark that in the next five years China would invest $500 billion (383 billion euros) and import about $10 trillion in goods.

"Hong Kong's purchase limits on milk powder mean an opportunity for Chinese enterprises and also reminds us of our responsibility to regain customer confidence. There's a time difference between Chinese companies and European companies, because three decades ago, they also faced similar problems."

Sun Yiping, chief executive officer of Chinese dairy company Mengniu, saying that Hong Kong's purchase limits, which allows a person leaving the city to carry a maximum of two cans, or 1.8 kilograms, of infant formula, allows companies in the Chinese mainland an opportunity to rebuild their reputation. She says local companies still have a long way to go to achieve this goal.

(China Daily 04/12/2013 page2)