China has agreed to make a $40‐million loan to Syria, Foreign Minister Abdel Halim Khaddam announced on his return to Damascus today from a 10‐day visit to China, reports from Damascus said. Mr. Khaddam said the main part of the loan would be used to building two yarn factories in northern Syria and in expanding a textile plant the Chinese have established in the central town of Horns.
The rest of the loan will be for a covered stadium in Damascus with a capacity of 15,000.
Before he left Peking, Mr. Khaddam signed an agreement for the expansion of trade between the two countries.
Mr. Khaddam indicated that Chinese tecnnicians and personnel would come to Syria to carry out the projects. About 50 Chinese experts are at the Horns factory as advisers.
Syria is also receiving assistance from the Soviet Union for several development projects. The first stage of a high dam on the Syrian section of the Euphrates River is to be corn‘plated this year with a Soviet loan of $125‐million.
