The visits by Chinese leaders to African, Latin American and some other nations would promote China's friendship and cooperation with these countries, while Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's latest European trip has boosted confidence in jointly tackling the global financial crisis.

Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit Saudi Arabia, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius from Feb. 10 to Feb. 17. Vice President Xi Jinping left here Sunday morning for official visits to Mexico, Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Malta.

At a time when the world is grappling with the financial upheaval and exploring ways to spur growth, the Chinese premier embarked on a "trip of confidence," dissipating doubts about China's economy and sending the message that confidence is key to tiding over the current difficulties.

"China's economy is in good shape on the whole...We have the confidence, conditions and ability to maintain steady and fast economic growth and continue to contribute to world economic growth," Wen said late last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, a famed skiing resort in the Swiss Alps.

"The global financial crisis is a challenge for the whole world. Confidence, cooperation and responsibility are key to overcoming the crisis," he told delegates at the Davos forum.

Since mid-September, China has cut key interest rates five times, and announced a 4 trillion yuan (586 billion U.S. dollars) stimulus package in early November.

In an interview with the Financial Times on Feb. 1, Wen said China was considering "further new, timely and decisive measures. All these measures have to be taken preemptively before an economic retreat."

In Switzerland, Germany, the European Union headquarters, Spain and Britain, Wen discussed with their leaders how China and European countries could work together to address the financial crisis.

The Financial Times said Wen's tour of European capitals was "aimed at reassuring the world of China's commitment to help tackle the economic crisis."

Jia Qingguo, associate dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University, told the Beijing-based Global Times newspaper that the international community expects China's greater involvement in international affairs and a greater international responsibility for China.

On the other hand, "it signifies that China is placing a greater emphasis on cooperation with the rest of the world, which has an important bearing on our own interests," Jia said.

Just days after Wen wrapped up his European tour, President Hu will start a tour that represents yet another opportunity to deepen the traditional friendship and cooperation with Gulf and African countries.

Saudi Arabia will be the first leg of Hu's upcoming tour. The country's media expected Hu's visit to boost the strategic friendly relations between the two countries and the cooperation between China and Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

Speaking at a press briefing ahead of Hu's trip, Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun said the four African countries Hu will visit are not energy-rich and resources-rich countries.

"China has deep traditional friendship and smooth cooperation with these countries, but it isn't confined to energy and resources," he said.

"China will honor its commitment to support the development of African countries and continue to encourage Chinese companies to further invest in and establish businesses in Africa," he said.

To further implement the eight measures Hu announced at the China-Africa summit in 2006, China would step up its work with Africa to tackle the challenges posed by the financial crisis, Zhai said.

Since 2007, China has signed bilateral aid accords with 48 African countries and loan agreements with 22 African countries. China plans a 200-percent increase this year in the value of aid to Africa, compared with 2006.

To encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa, the Chinese government has established the China-Africa Fund with an initial sum of 1 billion U.S. dollars.

As of the end of 2008, the fund had invested about 400 million dollars in 20 projects, which brought cumulative investment in Africa by Chinese enterprises to about 2 billion dollars.

While President Hu travels to Africa with renewed commitment to friendship and cooperation, Vice President Xi is taking that to another continent that is seeing fast growing trade ties with China.

According to the figures of the Chinese Customs, bilateral trade between China and Latin America exceeded 102.57 billion dollars in 2007, exceeding the 100-billion-dollar goal set by President Hu during his trip to the region in 2004.

Celso Amorim, foreign minister of Brazil, which is China's biggest trading partner in Latin America, said during Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's visit to the country last month that Brazil and China are ready to strengthen their economic and trade ties, including expanding and diversifying trade and promoting mutual investment.

Mexico, another major trading partner for China in the region, hopes to explore new opportunities in external trade under new circumstances, and tapping the potential of the Asia-Pacific region, particularly the Chinese market, is a priority of the government, Mexican Vice Foreign Minister Lourdes Aranda said during a recent interview with Xinhua.

Source: Xinhua