LUSAKA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The private sector in Zambia on Monday backed calls for the country to explore public-private partnership (PPP) model as a way to boost private sector investment from the Asian nation.

This came after a local think-tank, the Center for Trade Policy and Dialogue released a report last Friday in which it recommended that Zambia should explore more collaboration with China in PPP projects in order to boost private sector investment.

The think-tank advised Zambia to strategically position itself to have a larger share of the investment from China.

Speaking in an interview with Xinhua, Yusuf Dodia, Chairperson of the Private Sector Development Association, said the association was in support of the call and urged authorities to quickly come up with practical ways to actualize it.

"We of course welcome any initiative that will spur economic development for our nation and there is no doubt that China is becoming a major player in foreign direct investment," he said.

He said PPP models for both the public sector as well as the private sector would go a long way in Zambia's industrialization drive, adding that the country needs to take advantage of China's appetite to invest in overseas markets.

He further urged the private sector in Zambia to explore joint venture projects with Chinese enterprises as they will have spiral positive effects in skills and technology transfer.