President Hu Jintao "accomplished what he set out to" on his five-nation "journey of friendship and cooperation" that began on Feb 10, cementing and deepening the friendly relations between China and the other nations.
President Hu Jintao (L) talks with Mauritian President Anerood Jugnauth in Port Louis, capital of Mauritius, February 16, 2009.
Agencies
President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia will strengthen cooperation between China and the GCC.
China Daily reporter Li Xing is following President Hu's Saudi Arabia and African visit, providing exclusive report on the Chinese leader's first foreign trip in 2009.
President Hu Jintao will pay state visits to the African countries of Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius in mid-February.
The tour by President Hu Jintao is of great interest, given that none of the African nations visited are particularly resource-rich.
China has sent 674 medical workers to Mali over the past four decades and these Chinese doctors have treated more than 2.7 million Mali patients.
Vice President Xi Jinping said China places great importance on relations with Saudi Arabia and regards it as a close friend.
Photo Gallery