In 2011, trade between China and Africa reached $166.3 billion, 16 times higher than it was in 2000.?[File Photo]

China will expand its imports from Africa, which have doubled in the past three years, and will further open the domestic market to African countries, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday.

Wen made the remarks during a speech at a conference of Chinese and African entrepreneurs. The meeting is affiliated with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which will start its fifth ministerial conference in Beijing on Thursday.

"We need to promote balanced development of trade between China and Africa. China will expand imports of African products and further open its markets to African countries," the premier said.

Since 2000, the forum has witnessed a sharp rise in China's trade with Africa, despite a series of global financial crises beginning in 2008.

In 2011, trade between China and Africa reached $166.3 billion, 16 times higher than it was in 2000, with Africa running a trade surplus of $20 billion.

China has been Africa's largest trading partner since 2009, with more than 2,000 Chinese enterprises currently investing there.

Lu Shaye, director-general of the department of African affairs of the Foreign Ministry, told reporters on Wednesday that 60 percent of African products currently entering the Chinese market have enjoyed a zero-tariff treatment.

He said the rate is expected to reach 95 percent in the next several years, based on WTO regulations.

Yuan Li, vice-chairman of China Development Bank, said at the entrepreneurs' meeting that a major Chinese fund the bank initiated in 2007 that encouraged Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa has promised investment of $2 billion on the continent, and encouraged Chinese companies to invest more than $10 billion there.

The China-Africa Development Fund was one of the eight major decisions to assist African development that China announced at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2006.

Its promised investment of $2 billion covers 60 projects in 30 nations, Yuan said.

Wen said in his speech on Wednesday that China's cooperation programs with Africa now will be more focused on improving the livelihood of local people, creating more jobs for them and helping build Africa's capability of sustainable development.

Beijing will also take greater care to protect Africa's ecological environment and respect local culture and custom, the premier said.

"As for some existing problems and new situations in China-Africa cooperation, the Chinese government is actively working with African countries to seek effective solutions and measures," Wen said.

President Hu Jintao and Wen on Wednesday had bilateral talks with some African leaders attending the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation on Thursday.

Hu and leaders of eight African countries will attend the opening ceremony.

The Foreign Ministry said last week that at the ceremony, Hu will announce China's new measures to strengthen cooperation with Africa, covering various areas that include investment and African integration and security.

Ministers of foreign affairs and foreign economic cooperation from China and 50 African nations, as well as African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping, will attend the conference.

Liu Guijin, former special envoy of the Chinese government on African affairs, said China's cooperation with Africa should not be interpreted as one-way assistance.

"Africa has also helped China. It's reciprocal," Liu said.

Africa has become the second-largest source of China's oil imports, and a major destination of Chinese investment, he said.

Besides, some African countries have tried their best to help China, though they might not have too much to offer, Liu said.

"When the Wenchuan earthquake struck (in 2008), Equatorial Guinea, a country with a population of less than 1 million, donated 1 million euros ($1.22 million) to China. It was more than 1 euro for every citizen in that country," he said.

"Though it was not a big figure ... it touched us deeply."

Also, African countries played a big role in helping Beijing getting back its seat at the United Nations in 1971, Liu said.

"Our assistance to Africa is also a return for the help. Besides, it is also about responsibilities of a major nation."