Int'l community speaks highly of Xi's Africa visit

BEIJING - The international community has lauded Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to Africa as the head of state and his attendance at a summit of BRICS nations, saying he sent a positive signal of friendship, cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win results to the whole world.

Analysts say Xi's Africa trip, which included Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of the Congo, shows China attaches importance to the continent and has determination to devote itself to the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Africa.

Xi also attended the fifth summit of the BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, held from Tuesday to Wednesday in the South African port city of Durban.

Experts say China's participation in the BRICS cooperation mechanism will promote the development of the whole world including Africa.

HIGHLIGHTING TRADITIONAL FRIENDSHIP WITH AFRICA

Fengxiang Qiao, a professor at the U.S. Texas Southern University, said Xi, in his speech, expounded the China-Africa relations from a historical and future perspective.

Africa had suffered from colonialism and neocolonialism for a long time, he said, adding that China has always been a true friend of the African people.

China and Africa share similar experiences, common development tasks and strategic interests, which link the two peoples even more closely with sincere friendship, mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, Qiao said.

Just like what Xi had said in his speech in Tanzania, China will be for ever a "reliable friend and sincere partner" of Africa, he said.

Sabelo Mavikinduku Ngwenya, a Johannesburg-based political commentator and an international relations expert, said Xi's visit shows that China is an all-weather friend of South Africa and Africa.

"President Xi Jinping's visit to South Africa is a testimony to China's commitment to the two countries' brotherly relations that were formally established in 1998," Ngwenya told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"This visit is a further confirmation that China is South Africa and Africa's friend of all seasons and an equal partner to be relied on at all times," he said.

The partnership between China and Africa was established on the basis of equality and China is playing an important role as Africa's partner, Ngwenya said.

Phyllis Johnson, executive director of the Harare-based Southern Africa Research and Documentation Center, said Xi's Africa visit shows that the new Chinese leadership attaches importance to the China-Africa relations.

Under the new Chinese leadership, the China-Africa relations will move forward on the strength of the rapid development recorded in the past 10 years, Johnson said.

Cooperation between China and Africa enjoys broad prospects, and  Africa can learn from China's development model and experience, Johnson said.