Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's trip to Africa began on May 4, 2014. He will visit Ethiopia and the headquarters of the African Union, Nigeria, Angola and Kenya. This year marks the 50th anniversary of late Premier Zhou Enlai's first official visit to Africa. Since then, in the face of all the twists and turns of the international situation, the friendship between China and Africa has remained unshakable, and becomes even firmer with every year that passes.

The great friendship between China and Africa is reflected in the following story: in 2011, east Africa was suffered from a disastrous drought. Every day, nearly 2000 Somali refugees fled to Dadaab refugee camp. A reporter from People's Daily came to visit the camp. Though the Chinese embassy, and its medical teams and experts had left the country 20 years earier due to the constant chaos caused by war, everybody, from the elderly to the young, spoke to the reporter about the aid China had provided to Somalia and about the Chinese medical teams who had treated Somali people.

During an interview in a refugee tent, the hostess quietly brought a cup of milk tea to the reporter, while her children staring eagerly at the cup. Knowing that those children had probably gone hungry for a long time, the reporter declined it, but the hostess insisted that he drank it. At that moment, the reporter was deeply touched by this sincere friendship. For decades, China has provided aid to African countries with no strings attached. Such friendship can break down the barriers of time and space.

In recent years economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa has increased rapidly. China has been Africa's biggest trade partner for the last 5 years, with the volume of trade reaching 210 billion USD in 2013. However, some blinkered commentators tend to make uncomplimentary remarks about China-Africa cooperation, even going so far as to talk of "neocolonialism". Fortunately, the people of Africa are unlikely to be taken in by such observations; they know they can genuinely benefit from cooperation with China.

During an interview in Namibia in 2012, 50-year-old local driver James told a People's Daily reporter: "When I was little, I treasured the new shoes my mother made for me, so I went to school barefoot, carrying the new shoes in my hand. Now, my children can buy cheap and sturdy shoes in the Chinese shopping mall. They are very lucky compared to me." In the face of external criticism, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba said made his position clear: we welcome the Chinese people who come here for business.

Africa used to be called "the lost continent", but now, it is "the continent of promise". Many Chinese people and Chinese enterprises are sowing the seeds of hope there. By the end of last year, over 2500 Chinese enterprises had invested in Africa. Driven by Chinese investment, more and more factories and construction sites are being established in Africa. African people are now moving forward at a faster pace, and more of them can foresee the prospects of a better life.

The key to sustainability and stability in the China-Africa relationship is the unshakable friendship of the two peoples. It is the inexhaustible power of the China-Africa relationship that ties China and Africa together and stands fast in the face of criticism.

The article is edited and translated from《中非真情让挑拨者没辙》, source: People's Daily Overseas Edition, author: Pei Guangjiang.