China will continue to support Africa in its efforts to strengthen itself through unity, achieve peace and stability and economic revitalization in the region and raise its international standing, President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Saturday.

"China values its friendship with Africa. To strengthen unity and cooperation with Africa is a key principle guiding China's foreign policy," he said while addressing the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) .

Hu said his country will take more steps to forge a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership and strengthen their cooperation in more areas and at a higher level. "China will continue to support Africa in implementing the New Partnership for Africa's Development," he said.

The Chinese side has also put forward a series of concrete measures to help the African countries speed up development, including debt relief, exemption of tariff and personnel training to promote cooperation between China and Africa, Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo said Thursday.

Forty-one heads of state or government and senior officials from 48 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China are present at the two-day gathering, focusing on "friendship, peace, cooperation and development".

They will review the development of China-Africa relationship and blueprint future cooperation.

FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.

Since the FOCAC launch in 2000, three ministerial conferences have been held in Beijing and Addis Ababa, with an action plan discussed and passed, laying out cooperation programs between China and Africa from 2007 to 2009 under the FOCAC framework.

Source: Xinhua