BEIJING, Dec. 11 -- President Xi Jinping's Africa tour, which includes state visits and a rare China-Africa summit, has strengthened an already solid relationship.

It was Xi's second Africa tour since he took the presidency in March 2013. Observers say Xi's frequent contact with Africa shows that China has been paying much attention to the remote underdeveloped continent.

The Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Dec. 4 and 5, ended Xi's five-day Africa tour. At the summit, Xi and African leaders agreed to lift China-Africa relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

"China is placing more weight on Africa," said He Wenping, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stressing that it is a common need of China and African countries to enhance cooperation.

As the least developed continent, Africa has huge potential for development but lacks funds and technology, she said, noting that China's economic transition also requires more cooperation with Africa.

During the summit, a package of initiatives proposed by Xi, designed to strengthen China-Africa ties and support Africa's development in the coming three years, was warmly welcomed by African leaders.

The 10 major plans covered industrialization; agricultural modernization; infrastructure; financial services; green development; trade and investment facilitation; poverty reduction and public welfare; public health; people-to-people exchanges; and peace and security.

The programs focus on breaking the three development bottlenecks of underdeveloped infrastructure, talent shortage and inadequate funds, while accelerating industrialization and agricultural modernization to realize independent and sustainable development.

To ensure the smooth implementation of the initiatives, Xi announced a funding support of 60 billion U.S. dollars, including a China-Africa production capacity cooperation fund with an initial capital of 10 billion dollars.

He Wenping said that the sustainable programs will encourage more Chinese companies to carry out more projects in Africa.

China is no stranger to many African countries, with several projects spanning the previous few decades. Africa has always been cherished as "the foundation of the foundation" in Chinese diplomacy.

China and Africa share a common future, Xi said at the summit, calling on the two sides to translate the strengths of their traditional friendship into driving forces to boost solidarity, cooperation and development.

During the Africa tour, Xi underscored China's policy of noninterference in the domestic affairs of any country.

"With the painful experience of colonialism, Africans hold the principles of equality, respect and sovereignty in high regard," He Wenping said, adding that it is a common desire of Africans to address African affairs in an African way.

China fully backs Africa in that regard, she noted.

On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying refuted the opinion by many Western media that China's limited aid to Africa offers no help in improving democracy or human rights.

"[China's aid to Africa comes with] no political strings attached, [it is] not forcing Africans to do what they are unwilling to do, and is not just empty promises," Hua said.

China-Africa cooperation should be viewed in an objective, just and rational manner, according to the spokeswoman.