China-Africa relations have turned into a model of state-to-state relations characterized by equality and friendliness, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhang Xianyi said on Thursday.

The ambassador made the remarks at a reception held in Zimbabwe's capital city of Harare to mark the 57th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Zhang said this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the diplomatic relations between China and African countries. Over the past 50 years, China and Africa have supported each other in safeguarding national dignity and sovereignty.

"We have cooperated with each other in national development and livelihood enhancement and acted in concert to maintain world peace and defend the rights of developing countries. Our friendship is deep and strong," he said.

In its African Policy Paper, the Chinese government stated clearly China's goal of carrying forward China-Africa traditional friendship and deepening all-round friendly cooperation between China and Africa in a new era, he said.

Zhang said the upcoming Summit and the 3rd Ministerial Conference of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in Beijing in November will be a milestone in the history of the China-Africa relations.

He said leaders of China and African countries are expected to initiate a new strategic partnership featuring political equality and mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation and cultural exchange. "I believe that the new partnership will inject new vitality into the long-lasting friendship between China and Africa," he stressed.

In speaking of the China-Zimbabwe relations, Zhang said, China always cherishes its traditional friendship with the Zimbabwean people, values its friendly cooperation with the Southern African country and appreciates with gratitude that the Zimbabwean government and people resolutely stick to "one China" policy and support Taiwan's peaceful reunification with the motherland.

He said this year has seen new and fruitful results in the cooperation between the two countries. The two sides have reached consensus in a number of areas in state ruling and governance and cultural exchange between the two countries has entered a substantive stage.

More than 300 people, including officials from the Zimbabwean government, foreign diplomats in Zimbabwe and representatives of local overseas Chinese, attended the reception.