LUSAKA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's development in the last 70 years provides valuable lessons for African countries to learn from, a local think tank said on Wednesday.

Chenai Mukumba, coordinator of the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) International Center, said there was no doubt that China's growth in the last 70 years has borne tangible results, making the country the second largest economy in the world.

"Definitely, the leaders of China have done much to see the success of the country in the last 70 years, we definitely need to draw lessons from there on how this has been done," she said.

What has happened to China in the last 70 years shows how a nation can transform itself if it utilized its own resources and human capital, she said.

She noted China has now gone overseas to invest in other countries, and has made massive investment in infrastructure development as well as other projects, especially in Africa.

The development of China, she said, presents opportunities for African countries to embark on self-introspection on what they could do to ensure enhanced development.

"We would like to see Africa drawing lessons from China and putting in place policies and programs that will spur development." she said.