China, the world's largest developing country and a fast-growing economy, pursues mutually beneficial cooperation with Africa in political affairs, trade and resource development, the Chinese ambassador to South Africa said on November 9.

Liu Guijin told a seminar in Pretoria that China and African countries, both developing countries with similar histories of fighting for national independence, share long-term and strategic interest and should further enhance friendly ties that have been forged for decades.

"Cementing Sino-African relations under the new circumstances is of great significance for the promotion of South-South cooperation and the common development of both China and Africa," he said.

China has carried out comprehensive cooperation with African countries in the past 50 years in international affairs, economy and trade, agriculture, culture, health and other fields.

Bilateral trade between China and African countries amounted to12.68 billion US dollars in the first half of this year, compared with 10 billion dollars in 2000.

Although China-Africa trade accounted for only 2.3 percent of China's total foreign trade, "it promises a huge potential for further growth" because China and Africa are mutually complementary in their advantages, he said at a seminar

on China-Africa relations, organized by the Institute of Security Studies of South Africa.

China imports an increasing amount of raw material such as oil and iron ore from Africa to feed its hungry domestic markets, while exporting light industry products including textiles to African countries.

While Africa's abundant resources can serve as "the reservoir of development potentials," China can offer some technology and equipment comparatively suitable to African conditions, Liu said.

Describing China's engagement into resources development in Africa as being "generally welcomed" by African countries, Liu said China was willing to join hands with African countries in this sector.

Reacting to concerns among local textile producers the influx of the Chinese products has caused job losses in South Africa, the ambassador said China

should not be simply blamed and one should see the increase of trade volume on both sides.

He said China's textile industry has faced similar challenges and difficulties as it opened its market to foreign products and the Chinese entrepreneurs would like to share their experiences in raising competitiveness and efficiency.

South Africa is China's largest trading partner in Africa. For South Africa, the continent's strongest economy, China is its eighth largest exporting destination and fifth largest origin of import.

Bilateral trade has reached 4.3 billion dollars in the first nine months of this year, an over 50 percent increase compared with the same period of last year, Liu said.