Special Report: Chinese President Hu visits 8 African countries    

    JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's increasing involvement in Africa's development may influence the nature of international relations with African countries, in an equal and mutually beneficial way, a senior South African official has said.

    With China's entry into Africa, "we are beginning to get everybody to understand the principles of sovereignty, equality, non-intervention in the affairs of other countries, and mutual benefits," South Africa's Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

    This "can even change the whole nature of how other countries deal with Africa in terms of our relations," and "we can create the environment in which we can deal with other countries on a more equal basis," Pahad said.

    The deputy minister made the remarks on the eve of Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to South Africa, which he described as coming at a very crucial time.

    President Hu's visit "is an increasing sign that, as China emerges as a strong economic power in the world and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China has a major role to play," Pahad said.

    He said China influences not only the world's political and economic situation, but more specifically in dealing with challenges that other countries are experiencing, particularly in Africa.

    South Africa is part of Hu's eight-nation trip to Africa that began Tuesday last week, three months after the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held last November, during which Chinese and more than 40 African leaders pledged to intensify cooperation on mutual development.

    During Hu's visit, Pahad said, China and Africa will need to see how to follow up on decisions made during the Beijing summit, which include China's increasing aid to Africa, skills training, and greater expansion in two-way trade and investment.

    "The visit is very important on the economic front," he said.

    Pahad stressed that the South African government does not believe that China is coming to Africa as a new colonial power, as some people and media have recently claimed.