国内英语新闻:China committed to helping build Africa's self-development capability: official

While expanding aid to Africa, China is also providing preferential loans to African nations to improve the infrastructure and people's livelihoods there, Gao said.

China has set up six economic and trade cooperation zones and some development funds in Africa to attract more direct investment from China and incubate more small and medium-sized local enterprises.

"The Chinese enterprises (that run business in Africa) have started to combine their own development closely with the development of the local communities," said the vice commerce minister.

A China-Africa Brightness Action initiative, funded by Chinese enterprises and launched in 2010, on the 10th anniversary of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, has provided more than 1,000 African patients with free eye surgery and brought light and hope to cataract patients living on the African continent, Gao said, "which is a vivid example of Chinese enterprises' commitment to social responsibility."

As the world is undergoing complex changes, China and Africa have even more common interests, sharing rare opportunities for development while addressing global challenges, said the official.

China and Africa are highly complementary to each other in economic terms, and China's products, technology and managerial experience are suitable for the development of Africa, especially when Africa is in the initial phase of industrialization and urbanization, Gao said.

The official said that China will make more efforts to balance its trade with Africa, increase investment in and expand aid to the continent and promote economic integration in Africa to help enhance Africans' capacity for self-development.

To deepen economic and trade cooperation serves not only the two sides' own development, but also their long-term interests, Gao added.