Chinese president´s Africa tour gives fresh impetus to traditional friendship

Source: Xinhua | 02-18-2009 08:20

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- After a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia beginning Feb. 10, Chinese President Hu Jintao started an Africa tour aimed at enhancing China's friendship with developing countries in the region.

Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao addresses a  welcoming rally attended by people from various  sectors in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Feb. 16, 2009.  (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

The trip, which took Hu to Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius from Feb. 12 to 17, has given new impetus to the traditional friendship between China and Africa.

The time-honored friendship between China and Africa can be traced back to as early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when Chinese navigator Zheng He traveled to the African continent during his seven epic voyages.

In the 1960s, when most African countries launched a wave of independence struggles, late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai had also visited Africa to express his country's staunch support for its African brothers.