Belarus is to use Chinese loan to upgrade its cement factories. This issue was raised recently when a delegation of the Belarusian ministry visited China. The delegation was headed by Alexander Seleznev, the minister of architecture and construction of Belarus.  
 
The Belarusian officials met with the top management of the CITIC Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. and visited its production facility which specializes in design works and production of equipment for coal, electro-technical and cement industries. The products of that company have quality certificates issued by the leading cement producers. It exports to 30 countries of the world.  
 
China is the world leader in cement production. In 2006, it produced 650 million tons of cement having made a wide use of coal as fuel.  
 
During the visit, the Chinese side confirmed that it could issue a loan on privileged terms to finance the construction of a cement factory in Belarus and to help Belarusian cement producers switch from natural gas to coal as fuel.  
 
The Belarusians met with the top management of the CITIC GROUP corporation and discussed cooperation prospects. After the meeting the Belarusian minister and the president of the CITIS International Cooperation Co., Ltd. signed a memorandum of cooperation.  
 
The Belarusian specialists also traveled to a big factory producing plaster slabs and examined the manufacturing of panel houses. During negotiations, the sides agreed about the possibility of setting up analogous manufactures in Belarus. “The project on the production of plaster slabs may be implemented using the Chinese credit facility,” representatives of the ministry said.  
 
Also the Belarusians discussed with the CATIC leadership the issue on staring a joint Belarusian-Chinese company in Belarus to produce tower cranes, and the issue on buying lifts in China, which are used during construction of high-rise buildings.