BEIJING - Government officials on Friday urged more Chinese companies to invest in Africa's agricultural and manufacturing sectors to help the continent improve its economic structure.

"There are very broad investment areas in Africa, Chinese companies can explore more opportunities in sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, apart from the current focus on infrastructure and energy resources," Lu Shaye, director-general of the Africa affairs department under Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Friday at a China-Africa forum in Beijing.

He said that Africa's investment environment has greatly improved in recent years, and many nations have introduced preferential policies including lower tax rates to attract foreign capital.