DARES SALAAM, Nov. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- China is ready to join hands with African countries to explore new channels, new forms and new ways of cooperation to contribute to maintaining world peace, advancing global development and promoting progress of the mankind, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said here Wednesday.

Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with Tanzanian President Benjamin William Mkapa.

Li said Africa has nurtured plenty of splendid cultures and ancient civilizations. Under the new circumstances of international relations, its status and influence are on the rise.

Li said China is happy to see that under the leadership of their political parties, the African countries have made continuous progress in all-round construction and exploration of development routes that suit their different and specific conditions.

In the new situation, the common interests between China and Africa have increased rather than reduced. The area of win-win cooperation between China and African countries has been widened instead of narrowed, Li said.

Noting that China-Tanzania friendship was forged by the older generation of the leaders and meticulously fostered by successive generations of leaders of the two countries, Li said bilateral cooperation in areas such as politics, economy, education, culture and public health has been fruitful in recent years.

Li said exchanges between the political parties of the two countries have always been the political basis of bilateral relations. He thanked Tanzania for supporting China on such issues as Taiwan.

He said the CPC and the Chinese government will as always develop friendship and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

Li made positive comment on the achievements the Tanzanian people had made in developing economy and advancing comprehensive social progress under the leadership of Mkapa.

Li said the CPC, the Chinese government and people are glad to see that Tanzania has become one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. He wishes Tanzania a better future.

Mkapa, also chairman of the Revolutionary Party of Tanzania, said Li's visit enables the Tanzanian people to look back at the long history of friendly cooperation between the two countries and their people.

The Tanzanian leader said deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries is not only in the basic interests of the two countries and two peoples, but also helps improve the status and influence of developing countries.

Mkapa said exchanges between the Revolutionary Party of Tanzania and the CPC consist a pillar of friendly cooperation between the two countries in all fields.

The Revolutionary Party of Tanzania thanked the CPC, the Chinese government and people for their long-term support to the revolutionary and construction cause of Tanzania. It is ready to join hands with China to explore new mode of strengthening party-to-party exchanges and conducting mutually beneficial cooperation, Mkapa said.

After the meeting, Li and Mkapa attended the signing ceremony of the agreement on economic and technological cooperation between China and Tanzania.

Li concluded his goodwill visit to Tanzania on Wednesday afternoon. Before leaving Tanzania, Li went to the cemetery of Chinese experts in Dares Salaam to pay respect to the Chinese workers who died in the process of building the Tanzania-Zambia railway. He also visited the station of the railway in the capital of Tanzania.