Yearender: China reaches out to LatAm, Africa for new-era cooperation

Xi, at the Johannesburg summit, describing China and Africa as good friends, good partners and good brothers with a common future, said the two sides have always been a community of common destiny, with similar historical experiences having generated a profound friendship between their people.

"In conducting China's relations with Africa, we adhere to the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith and uphold the values of friendship, justice and shared interests," Xi said.

Gerishon Ikiara, a lecturer of international economics at the University of Nairobi, said China has dealt with African countries in a "friendlier manner without discrimination based on a country's political or economic policies or conditions."

Second, China's relations with developing countries are based on mutual benefits.

"In cooperation with developing countries, China will consider their need for self-development ... instead of simply trade and investment or mere one-off sales of resources and energy," Wang said.

"China has a strategic interest in Latin America, a region which produces and exports a large amount of food products and commodities," said Carvalho, the Brazilian expert.

"The great interest is evidenced by the fact that, in two years, both President Xi and Premier Li Keqiang visited Latin America and participated in high-level summits," Carvalho added.

During Li's visit to Latin America in May, he proposed a new mode of production capacity cooperation dubbed "three times three," which means the joint construction of three passages for logistics, electric power and information, giving full play to the interaction among the three entities of private sector, society and the government and using three financing channels including funding, credit loans and insurance.

The "three times three" mode not only meet the needs of Latin America, but also inspires new channels for high-level cooperation between China and other developing countries, especially emerging economies, thus ushering in a new era for South-South cooperation, Wang said.

The measures announced by Xi at the FOCAC Johannesburg summit in early December also gained applause from African countries.

"The measures announced by Xi are badly needed for African countries," said Lesotho's Foreign Minister Tlohang Sekhamane. "It is clear that China wants to be a partner looking for cooperation with Africa and it seeks opportunities of real win-win cooperation instead of looking for a situation of dominance."