[2005-12-13]

(Rapaport...December 13, 2005) China proposed a diamond trading platform partnership with Angola. China officially submitted the request on December 2 and hopes to begin trading activity in early 2006.

The platform would link the Shanghai Diamond Exchange with Angola's Endiama and Sodiam for supplying rough to China's domestic manufacturers. The platform would help ensure all diamond transactions run through the official channels at the exchange.