Photo taken on Dec 4, 2015 shows a view of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The two-day summit kicked off on Friday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Also, the two sides need to close ranks and help each other in security, said the president, stressing that Beijing supports Africa resolving African problems in African ways and stands ready to help Africa enhance its capacity in safeguarding peace and security.

In addition, Xi called upon the two sides to cement unity and coordination on international affairs and jointly defend their common interests, and pledged that China will continue to support Africa in playing a bigger role on the world stage.

"China, after reform and opening-up of over 30 years, now has the technology, equipment, professional and skilled personnel and capital needed to help Africa realize sustainable self-development," he said.

"In particular, China has the strong political commitment to supporting Africa in achieving development and prosperity. China and Africa share mutual needs and complementarities and face a rare historic opportunity in pursuing development through cooperation," added the president.

10 major plans

To realize the upgrade to relationship, Xi announced, China will carry out 10 major plans in the next three years to boost its cooperation with Africa.

The big package covers the areas of 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.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd L F) and his wife Peng Liyuan (1st L F) attend a welcome banquet for the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg, South Africa, Dec 3, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

To ensure smooth implementation of the initiatives, China will offer 60 billion U.S. dollars of funding support, Xi said, specifying that the sum includes 5 billion dollars of grant and interest-free loans, 35 billion dollars of preferential loans and export credit, 5 billion dollars of additional capital for the China-Africa Development Fund and the Special Loan for the Development of African SMEs each, and a China-Africa production capacity cooperation fund with the initial capital of 10 billion dollars.

The programs, stressed the president, will focus on helping African countries break the three development bottlenecks of backward infrastructure, talent shortage and inadequate fund, accelerate industrialization and agricultural modernization, and realize independent and sustainable development.

As regards the lack of skilled personnel, Xi said China will establish a number of regional vocational education centers and several capacity-building colleges for Africa, train 200,000 technicians for African countries, and provide the continent with 40,000 training opportunities in China.

Meanwhile, China will offer African students 2,000 education opportunities with degrees or diplomas and 30,000 government scholarships, he said, adding that each year his country will also invite 200 African scholars to visit China and 500 African youths to study in China each year and train 1,000 media professionals from Africa.