A spokesman of China's Ministry of Commerce said in Beijing on
Thursday that China has provided aid to 53 African countries over
the past 50 years and the aid carried "no political
conditions".
Spokesman Chong Quan told a press conference that China has
helped African nations build nearly 800 complete sets of projects
in the past five decades.
He made the remarks while introducing to the press economic and
trade cooperative ties between China and seven African countries
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is scheduled to visit later this
month.
Wen will embark on a week-long visit to Egypt, Ghana, the
Republic of Congo, Angola, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda from
June 17 to 24.
Last year, Chong said, China's trade with the seven countries
amounted to US$21.13 billion, accounting for half of the volume of
China's African trade.
South Africa was China's biggest trade partner in Africa, Angola
the second, the Republic of Congo the fifth, and Egypt the
sixth.
In the first three months of this year, China's trade with the
seven African nations totaled US$6.56 billion, up 168.2 percent
from a year earlier.
Chong said Sino-African economic and trade ties have developed
"fast and steadily" based on the principle of equality, mutual
benefit and common development through various means.
In 2005, China and African bilateral trade came to US$39.74
billion, doubling that of 2000, with China's export to African
countries standing at US$18.68 billion, and China's import from the
African continent totaling US$21 billion.
According to Chong, in the January-March period of this year,
China's trade with the African continent surged 52 percent
year-on-year to US$11.54 billion.
He said China's accumulated direct investment in the African
continent reached US$1.18 billion by the end of 2005, with
China-invested projects scattering in 49 African countries.
He noted China has also helped African countries train thousands
of various special technical personnel.
(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2006)