China has become a major partner with the United Nations (UN) in helping Africa develop its infrastructure, health, agriculture and industry, a UN official said on Friday.

Khalid Malik, UN resident co-ordinator and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) resident representative in China, said: "China's assistance can be most effective and have a potentially critical impact."

He made the comment during a reception organized by the China Africa Business Council (CABC) and co-hosted by the UNDP in China.

"Since many of the challenges Africa faces have been met and successfully addressed by China, there should be no shortage of such opportunities," Malik said.

"By identifying and fully leveraging them, China can make a historic contribution not only to African development, but also to South-South co-operation overall."

Over the past half-century, China has completed some 900 infrastructure and social development projects in Africa, sending 16,000 medical personnel to 43 African countries, treating 240 million patients, according to CABC statistics.

Co-operation have been expanding rapidly in recent years, with this focusing on expanding imports from Africa, combining technical assistance with economic assistance and helping Africa train technicians and management professionals.

"In recent collaboration with UNDP on assistance in Africa, the country's private sector has played an important role," Malik stressed.

CABC was established last year as a key public-private partnership. Its deputy chief Hu Deping headed a delegation of Chinese private entrepreneurs to Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar in August.

During the same month, the council also hosted a workshop in Beijing.

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, director of the UN Millennium Project, called for the strengthening of African governments' capacity to meet key challenges such as tackling malaria, developing businesses in impoverished regions.