President of the Council of the Togolese Republic, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, said China has significant advantages in hosting the secretariat of a UN-backed treaty on marine biodiversity.

He added that the secretariat could help African countries strengthen their marine research capabilities and improve access to ocean data.

Gnassingbé is visiting China from October 9 to 16. During his visit, he toured a marine research institute in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province.