Gratifying achievements were made in the developments of relations between China and Africa in the past year, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official has said.

Speaking at a symposium of Chinese and Moroccan entrepreneurs Rabat on Thursday, Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said the implementation of the eight concrete measures proposed by Chinese President Hu Jintao at the 2006 Beijing Summit of the Forum on the China-Africa Cooperation has been effectively carried out thanks to the joint efforts of China and Africa.

The cooperation of mutual benefit between China and Africa witnessed "vigorous" developments in 2007 and yielded "gratifying" results, he said.

Trade volume between China and Africa reached US$73.3 billion last year, an increase of 32.2 percent over the previous year, and the biggest among China's trade with all the other continents, said Li.

The exchange of notes on granting tariff-free treatment to 454 products exported from the least developed African countries has been basically completed and the agreements have gone into effect since July 1, 2007, he said.

China has fulfilled its annual plans of financial assistance to Africa and has signed framework agreements with 19 African countries on loans on favorable terms. China has also forgiven debts of 32 African countries, said the official.

The China Africa Development Fund has entered into operation and the first China-Africa economic and trade cooperation zone has been inaugurated, he said.

The cornerstone for the conference center for the African Union, a China-aid project, has been laid successfully and the construction will start this year, he said.

The inspection and preparation is underway for the establishment of 14 agriculture demonstration centers, 30 hospitals and 100 village schools, all with Chinese aid. Construction will start this year, he added.

China has also started the work of setting up 30 anti-malaria centers in Africa, Li said.

In 2007, China trained 5,931 African professional personnel of various types and provided 2,700 scholarships to 50 African countries, he said.

The Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government has always considered it an important part of China's foreign policy to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with African countries, said Li.

Li's ongoing tour to four African countries is aimed at further implementing consensus reached between President Hu and African leaders and promoting the fulfillment of the measures agreed at the Beijing summit, he said.

The official also highly appreciated the development of China-Morocco relations since the two countries established diplomatic relations 50 years ago.

"The past 50 years are years in which the two peoples have showed sympathy and support to each other, years in which the traditional friendship and their ties of equality and mutual trust have been steadily strengthened and years that witnessed the further deepening of bilateral cooperation of mutual benefit in various fields," said the Chinese official.

China-Morocco cooperation of mutual benefit is an important part of a new strategic partnership between China and Africa and the friendship between China and Morocco is an epitome of China-Africa friendship, he said.

He also briefed the audience on China's developments since the reform and opening up 30 years ago.

The relations between China and Africa are getting closer and closer and China has provided, in its power, support for Africa without any political conditions, said Li.

In the United Nations and other international organizations, China has firmly safeguarded the interests of developing countries including African countries and urged the international community to give higher priority to Africa's peace and development, he said.

He expressed China's appreciation and gratitude to African countries for their support to China on issues such as Tibet and human rights, and China's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2010 World Expo.

Morocco is the third leg of Li's five-nation tour which has taken him to Algeria and Mauritania and will also take him to Tunisia and Syria.

(Xinhua News Agency March 30, 2008)