Johannesburg (People’s Daily) - Former South African president Thabo Mbeki has expressed support for cooperation between China and African countries.

His remarks came at an interactive session of a conference held by the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute at the University of South Africa in Pretoria.

Mbeki shakes hands with Lin Songtian, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa. (Photo provided by Chinese embassy in South Africa)

Mbeki said cooperation between African countries and China is mutually beneficial when addressing China-Africa relations.

He noted that during the previous forum on Africa and China in September last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $60 billion to the continent in loans, grants, and development financing. Some saw this and many other agreements as a form of colonialism, but Mbeki disagrees, stressing the importance of South Africa-China relations.

“We negotiated an agreement which reflects the interests of both sides,” he said. “A declaration was signed with objectives that all of us have agreed to. We must now implement what was agreed. That’s the construct of relations between Africa and China.”

Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian attended the conference.

“Africa has abundant natural and human resources, however, due to the long-term interference of Western colonialists, the two major issues of peace and development have not been realized,” he said.

“Helping Africa achieve lasting peace and independent and sustainable development is the common goal pursued by China and African countries. To achieve these two goals, any country or region must give priority to cracking the three bottlenecks of lagging infrastructure, talent shortage, and insufficient funds.”

Lin said that the core ideals and goals pursued by President Xi Jinping's China-Africa policy are to support Africa's priority in cracking down on the three major development bottlenecks to help Africa accelerate the process of industrialization and modernization and to achieve win-win development.

Mbeki and Chinese Ambassador Lin Songtian with diplomats. (Photo provided by Chinese embassy in South Africa)