SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe praised "strategic cooperation" between China and Africa here Sunday, saying it represented the culmination of the friendship between the two sides.

    China has fulfilled the commitments made in the action plan announced by Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC) in 2006 to support the strategic relationship with Africa, said Mugabe in the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the FOCAC held in Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

    President Mugabe stressed his confidence that China has the ability to commit to the implementation of the new plan announced by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the opening session of today's meeting.

    A number of countries in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region have achieved significant progress in their trade exchanges with China, mainly due to the Chinese measures to increase the number of exported items receiving duty-free entry into their market, he said.

    China has established several trade and economic cooperation zones in a number of African countries and I think there is still much to be done to further deepen and broaden these economic relations, said Mugabe.

    "We welcome additional investments from Chinese companies to raise Africa's productive capacity," said Mugabe, adding "I would also like to applaud the progress that has been achieved through the doubling of assistance to Africa in the infrastructure projects."

    The 4th Ministerial Meeting of the FOCAC opened here on Sunday morning.

    Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and African heads of state or government from 49 countries attended the opening ceremony.

    The conference, with the theme of "deepening the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership for sustainable development," will last for two days.

    The main agenda of the meeting is to review the implementation of the follow-up activities of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and the 3rd Ministerial Meeting and explore new initiatives and measures on the way toward Sino-African cooperation in such areas of priority as human resources development, agriculture, infrastructure development, investment and trade.