Special Report: Xinhua journalists cover Africa

    BEIJING, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 11,000 professionals from Africa have received training in China since 2004, China's Ministry of Commerce announced Thursday.

    China received 2,963 African trainees in 2004, and last year the number surged to 4,887 studying trade, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, public healthcare, telecommunications, education and environmental protection.

    More than 3,900 African professionals are studying in China this year.

    The statistics were released prior to the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the highest-level and largest meeting of Chinese and African leaders since the 1950s, from Nov. 3 to 5.

    The FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.

    About 30 African heads of state or government and their Chinese counterparts will attend with aims to outline the future of cooperation after 50 years of friendship.

    "China and African countries are developing and lots of experiences China obtained during its social and economic construction can be shared with the African countries," said Li Yuanyuan, an Africa expert with the prestigious Peking University.

    "African technicians, business managers and specialists could optimize their competence and increase their understanding of China through the training program," he said. Enditem