China, Africa devoted to deepening cooperation

According to the Chinese Commerce Ministry, Chinese direct investment in Africa amounted to 25 billion dollars by the end of 2013, with more than 2,500 Chinese companies operating in Africa in the fields of finance, telecommunications, energy, manufacturing and agriculture, and creating more than 100,000 local jobs.

"The rapid growth of China-Africa trade has resulted in a sharp increase of African exports, which improves Africa's foreign currency earnings, creates employment opportunities, and accelerates Africa's industrialization," said Liu of Zhejiang Normal University.

In fact, China has always kept every commitment it made to Africa and attached no political strings so that African nations can translate their advantages in natural resources into advantages in development.

Lansana Camara, a political analyst based in Conakry, Guinea, said Chinese companies in the African country filled a vacuum left by global mining firms from the West, sustaining the country's pillar sector and saving a lot of local jobs.

"As the West is still embroiled in economic meltdown and has rolled back investment in Africa, the emergence of Chinese companies is naturally welcomed by Africans," Camara said.

ACCELERATING PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES

In an interview with African media before his trip, Li said Africa has the biggest potential in human resources.

China is ready to train more professionals of various types for African countries, and provide more vocational education tailored for African young people to help Africa fully and durably unleash its population dividends, the premier said.

As one saying goes, the key to people-to-people exchanges lies in heart-to-heart communication, he said, noting that China will roll out a series of projects on people-to-people exchanges and cooperation to enrich exchanges between the two peoples and promote their mutual understanding and friendship.

As part of China's public diplomacy effort, Li visited Ethiopian patients who have benefited from the "Bright Journey," a campaign launched by Chinese health authorities to provide free cataract surgical operations and other medical services to local residents.

"During public diplomacy events, Chinese leaders will conduct closer contacts with local residents," said Liu, the former Chinese special envoy.

"This will not only help the public get a direct understanding of China's foreign policy, but also remove misunderstandings caused by some Western countries and media prejudiced against China-Africa relations," he added.

Huang, of the Chinese Research Society of African Affairs, said that compared with trade and economic cooperation, the two sides' enormous potential in cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts needs to be tapped by governments, non-governmental organizations, and scholars.

According to official statistics, there were 33,000 African students in China last year. By the end of 2013, China had trained 54,000 technicians for African nations, and sent more than 360,000 technicians, young volunteers and agricultural specialists to Africa.

Confucius institutes serve as another channel for African students to access Chinese culture and learn the Chinese language.

Now about 30 Confucius institutes have been set up across Africa, offering various language courses and lectures, exhibitions and performances to African students.

Liu, of Zhejiang Normal University, suggested that future China-Africa cooperation focus on such key areas as people-to-people exchanges, education, and science and technology.

"Africa is in great need of educational resources, while China has an enormous education system," he said.

"China can help Africa train elementary and middle school teachers and provide textbooks and other teaching materials within the framework of UNESCO. This can help build a solid public base for bilateral ties," he added.

Just as Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming put it, with rich contents and fruits, Li's visit, another significant diplomatic move taken by the new Chinese leadership under new circumstances, is of great importance for China-Africa cooperation.

"I believe this visit will consolidate the strategic trust between China and Africa, deepen their cooperation in all areas, and raise China-Africa and China-AU relations to a new high," Zhang said.