China has become within the space of just one decade one of the most important partners of the African continent, an official from the African Union (AU) said in Nairobi on Monday.

AU Commission Chief of Staff Ambassador John Shinkaiye said in Nairobi that China has been a partner that has a keen interest in spreading the benefits of modernization and economic development to the vast majority of African people.

"Africa-China engagement has been one of mutual results. China has assisted Africa with her development enterprise without demanding that Africa must become china or imitate China," Shinkaiye said during the opening ceremony of the First China-Africa people's forum that brought together NGOs from Africa and China.

The conference is aimed at deepening the bond by fostering direct people to people contact and interaction that is citizen oriented.

The AU is set to officially open the Chinese-Government-built AU Commission headquarters during the next ordinary session of the Assembly of the Union in January next year, he added.

Kenya's Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said the forum is a manifestation that China is not just interested in exploiting the natural resources of Africa.

"This forum of civil society actors from the two vast continents is an indication that China is committed to building deep and lasting links with the people of Africa," he added. "Relations between the government of China and nations of Africa are fully established, now the challenge of this forum is develop a similar platform on a people to people level," Shinkaiye said.

Executive Director of the NGO's Coordination Board in Kenya Ambassador Peter Ole Nkuraiya said that the forum will create a new platform for exchanges among the people of the two continents.

"Over 50 NGOs from China and 150 from Africa will look for common solutions to improving service to the communities their serve," Nkuraiya said.

Most Kenyan NGO's are politically oriented and they can learn from their Asian colleagues to focus more on development, he added.

Tanzania Association of NGO's program officer Zaa Twalangete said they hope to have skill exchanges especially in the health sector where the Chinese have excelled.

Speaking during the meeting, Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula underscored the relationship between Kenya and China.

The minister said that apart from being a true friend and development partner, China has also supported Kenya in international forums.

(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2011)