BEIJING, Jan.13 (Xinhuanet) -- Economic and trade cooperation, human resources development and people-to-people exchanges will be high on the agenda of future China-Africa all-round cooperation, Chinese experts on African studies said here Friday.

    China released its first African policy paper -- China's African Policy -- here Thursday, presenting to the world the objectives of China's policy towards Africa and measures that China will adopt to this end.

    In the paper, the Chinese government put forward its proposals for all-round cooperation with Africa in various fields in the coming years, with a view to promoting the steady growth of China-Africa relations in the long term.

    "It is the first time for China to elaborate 'comprehensive cooperation' with Africa in the form of state policy, which indicates the government's commitment to deepen its relations with African countries," said Lu Tingen, director of the African Studies Center of Beijing University.

    The paper said the Chinese government will adopt more effective measures to facilitate African commodities' access to the Chinese market, and encourage and support Chinese enterprises' investment and business in Africa.

    It specially mentions that "China is willing to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with African countries and African regional organizations when conditions are ripe".

    "Abundant natural resources and a great potential market in Africa are very important for China's sustainable development; while for Africa, with social stability regaining in recent years,it is in urgent need of exterior support to help its economic development," said Professor Lu, who has studied China-African relations for over 30 years.

    Chinese customs figures show that in the past five years, the volume of trade between China and Africa has grown from 10 billion U.S. dollars per year to nearly 40 billion U.S. dollars per year.

    Chinese investment in Africa has also increased rapidly. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, in the first ten months of 2005, Chinese companies invested 175 million U.S. dollars in African countries, accounting for one-tenth of the total investment that China made in Africa over the years.

    "I am convinced that the African policy paper will definitely further strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and African countries, especially in investment," Lu said.

    Another highlight of the comprehensive cooperation between China and Africa is human resources development, which is listed as a priority in the paper.

    The paper states China will give full play to the role of its "African Human Resources Development Foundation" in training African personnel.

    In fact, human resources development covers a wide range of areas, including the training of military personnel, staffs engaged in disaster-reduction work, civil servants and medical workers.

    China has scaled up its budget to support human resources training programs in Africa -- about 6,400 professionals from 48 African countries have been trained under the program over the past two years. This year, about 3,600 African professionals are expected to be trained.

    "As the old Chinese saying goes, give a man a fish and you can feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Those who have received training in China will surely give a fresh impetus to the development of Africa," said He Wenping, director of the African Studies Office of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

    "China will encourage and facilitate the exchanges between people's organizations of China and Africa, especially the youth and women, with a view to increasing the understanding, trust and cooperation of people on both sides," the paper says.

    Altogether 50 provinces or cities in China have forged friendly ties with African cities.

    "These local and people-to-people exchanges have enriched two-way cooperation and promoted common development of both sides in the social, economic and cultural fields," said An Yongyu, a senior Chinese diplomat who served as Chinese ambassador to several African countries.

    "The enhancement of comprehensive cooperation between China andAfrica is a general trend," said He from CASS.

    "Developing diplomatic relations between China and African countries will not only depend on their governments, but also on efforts of their whole societies. If people in both sides are motivated, Sino-African exchanges and cooperation will be fruitful in every field," she added. Enditem