LUSAKA -- Zambia and China have enjoyed good diplomatic relations for about 43 years, during which the former has greatly benefited from the highly industrialized country, said Zambia's Sunday Mail in a feature looking at the fruitage of the friendship between the two countries.

The forthcoming visit to Zambia by Chinese President Hu Jintao dawns hope of China's renewed commitment to the aid package to Zambia and other African countries, it said.

During the visit Zambia would want to position itself to benefit from one of the five trade and economic cooperation zones that China would establish in Africa in the next three years, it said.

The visit must be a culmination of the closed-door meeting between Hu and Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa last November during the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, it said.

The feature reviewed the commitments the Chinese government made during the summit to Zambia and Africa as a whole, the cooperation between Zambia and China, and Chinese assistance to Zambia.

Apart from the fruitful economic cooperation the two countries enjoy each other's political support at international fora, said the feature.

Chinese projects in Zambia have brought about socio-economic benefits to the locals who have benefited from jobs that have been created, agricultural produce and mineral royalist, it said.

Hu's visit is therefore expected to strengthen cooperation between Zambia and China in the agriculture, mining and manufacturing sectors, said the feature.