China signed a series of loan, debt relief and economic cooperation agreements worth US$81 million with Chad on Friday, five months after the Central African country restored diplomatic ties with Beijing.

"The total value of these deals is estimated at around 40.5 billion CFA francs (US$81 million)," a statement published by Chad's foreign ministry said on Friday.

The agreements were signed when Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing visited Chad on a seven-nation African tour, which has taken him to Benin, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. He is due to move on to the Central African Republic, Eritrea and Botswana before he winds up his African tour next Monday.

During his visit to Equatorial Guinea, Li agreed to forgive about US$75 million in debt.

In his first stop in Benin, Li promised US$36 million in economic aid as he laid the first stone for a building to facilitate economic and social development in the country.

Li's seven-nation Africa tour will bring a "new round" of development for China-Africa relations in the new year, which have gained "new momentum" to expand, said Dai Yan, a senior diplomat of African studies in Beijing.

Li's African tour is his first foreign trip of the new year. The 66-year-old diplomat has been to 47 of the 53 African nations.

Li's visit to Africa is to implement measures to develop the new strategic partnership between China and Africa featuring political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win cooperation and cultural exchanges, said Dai, who previously worked at the Chinese embassy in Ghana.

"Li's trip also indicates that China-Africa exchanges in the new year will be more frequent," he said.

"China has been intensifying its pragmatic partnership with Africa. The cooperation between the two sides is open, transparent and mutually beneficial and is not directed by a third party," Dai said, adding that some Western countries' preaching on China's colonialism in Africa is "groundless".

(China Daily January 6, 2007)