Africa has called for China's deeper involvement in its environmental and security affairs, saying that Beijing has become more than just Africa's "political ally", a senior official of Zambia's ruling party said on Thursday.

Wynter Kabimba, secretary-general of the Zambia Patriotic Front, said China is a country to learn from in terms of development and is giving hope to the African continent.

"We can learn how China developed so rapidly and lifted people out of poverty within a short period of time," and meanwhile put environmental protection at the center of the country's development strategy, said Kabimba.

His remarks come days after the conclusion of the 21st African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reports said that the AU highlighted the importance of Africa's independent development and expressed hopes to strengthen security cooperation with China.

Kabimba supports China's involvement in Africa's security issues, saying security and stability still pose a major obstacle to social and economic development of certain African regions.

"African people look at China as a neutral force, in comparison to other countries," he said. "We believe that China can help Africa resolve conflicts in good faith."

At the end of April, Kabimba was also elected as the first president of the Council of African Political Parties, a new communication platform for about 40 political parties in around 20 African countries that includes both ruling and opposition parties, in Khartoum, Sudan.

"In terms of the integration of Africa, the AU and the CAPP complement each other," Kabimba said.

Zambian President Michael Sata paid a state visit to China in early April and met President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang separately. He also attended the Bo'ao Forum for Asia in Hainan province.

Xi said during the meeting that Beijing supports Chinese enterprises' participation in Zambia's mining, agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, and hopes Zambia can create "more favorable conditions" for Chinese businesses there.

Friendly ties

Kabimba said that Sata's visit illustrates the friendly ties between the two countries, which can be dated back to the 1960s, when China helped build the Tanzam Railway, from the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.

"After the Patriotic Front won election in 2001, our government has maintained very good relations with China," he said. "Now they are prepared to strengthen bilateral cooperation."

China has transformed from Africa's ally in politics to an ally in business and in many other areas, especially in mining and infrastructure development, Kabimba said.

Yang Lihua, an expert on African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Chinese enterprises in Africa should focus on the long-term interests of China-Africa cooperation by becoming further involved in local society, through environmental protection and other social responsibility plans.

More than 300 Chinese enterprises are currently operating in Zambia with a total investment volume of more than $2 billion. Bilateral trade between China and Zambia hit $33.8 billion last year.

Kabimba said that the Zambian government would like to see more diversified growth in other areas such as agriculture, tourism and the traditional copper mining industry.

(China Daily 05/31/2013 page11)