China will work vigorously for the establishment of a New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) for further cooperation between the two continents, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday in South Africa's port city of Durban.

China has all along "been vigorously advocating and faithfully acting on Asian-African solidarity and cooperation," Wang told delegates at a ministerial meeting of the Asian-African Sub-Regional Organizations Conference (AASROC).

Foreign ministers and delegates from 81 Asian and African countries, as well as regional organizations, focused on the proposed establishment of the NAASP, which was initiated by South Africa, Indonesia and other countries.

"The Chinese government highly appreciates and fully supports the initiative," Wang said, adding that the partnership should be built up in the spirit of solidarity, equality and cooperation."

Wang said Asian and African countries should jointly promote multilateralism and should respect diversity among civilizations and the right of all countries to independently choose their own roads to development.

"We should vigorously promote South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue with countries in other regions and seek common development by seizing the opportunities presented by globalization," he said.

The meeting also discussed preparation for an AASROC summit in Bandung, Indonesia, in 2005, which will mark the anniversary of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference.

China, participant of the 1955 conference and a long advocator of Asian-African cooperation, believed that the AASROC could offer a new platform to boost strength, integrate resources and promote cooperation among Asian and African countries, Wang said.

He urged the countries to step up exchanges and mutual learning in order to share each other's experience of development and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between Asian-African peoples.