BEIJING - A Ministry of Commerce (MOC) official said on Monday it is groundless and irresponsible to accuse China of carrying out so-called "neocolonialism" in Africa.

Liu Junfeng, vice director of MOC's foreign assistance department, stressed that China provides foreign aid to help other countries realize poverty relief, better livelihood, faster growth and stronger self-dependence, which has been a steadfast rule in the past few decades.

"Even in the old days when China was much less developed, people witnessed our continuous foreign assistance out of humanitarianism," he said. "It's extremely irresponsible and groundless to criticize China for grabbing resources and markets in Africa."

"China's cooperation with African nations in fields of energy and resources follows global market rules," he said, adding that the aid and preferential loans provided to foreign nations mainly went to projects of agriculture, education, medical care, transportation, telecommunication and electricity.

He said China had sent more than 50 medical teams with more than 4,000 professionals to Africa over the past 50 years. Most recently, some 500 Chinese doctors and health experts went to west Africa to assist the fight against Ebola.

China has so far offered 400 billion yuan for 166 countries and international organizations, and helped finish more than 2,700 aid projects, he said.