Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa of Ethiopia May 5, 2014. [Photo by Li Xueren/Xinhua]

ADDIS ABABA - China and Africa agreed to continue to make infrastructure development a priority area in their cooperation and enhance collaboration in areas such as transportation, communications, water conservancy, electricity and energy.

The two sides hailed the achievements made in building a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership, and agreed that China-Africa cooperation is constructive and exemplary, according to a joint statement issued after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang paid a visit to the African Union?headquarters in the Ethiopian capital.

China-Africa cooperation "has played an important role in promoting the development of both sides and also the peace, stability and development of the region and the world as a whole," the joint statement said.

Since strengthening solidarity and cooperation among the developing countries is conducive to forging more stable, balanced and democratic international relations, both sides recognized the need to strengthen coordination and collaboration on international issues in order to uphold the common interests of developing countries and build a more just and equitable international order and system.

China will continue to give its firm support to the AU in advancing the African integration process and upholding Africa's peace and security, while the AU will continue to give its understanding and support for China on issues concerning the latter's major and core interests, and play an active role in promoting China-Africa cooperation in all fields, said the statement.

Recognizing that peace and development in Africa is essential to prosperity and stability in the world, China and the AU called on the international community to respect the right of Africa to independently choose its development paths, support Africa's effort in addressing the problems in the region independently and help African countries improve their capacity for self-development.

Both sides reaffirmed the openness and inclusiveness of China-Africa cooperation. China welcomes the diversification of Africa's cooperative partners, urges the international community to increase input into Africa, and is willing to carry out cooperation with a third party in Africa on the basis of Africa's need, consent and participation, the statement said.

China and the AU also highlighted the importance of infrastructure to Africa's economic and social development and integration process, and pledged to give full play to the role of the joint working group on transnational and transregional infrastructure cooperation and facilitate the implementation of their action plan.

China appreciated the positive role played by the Commission of the AU as the new member of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening dialogue and cooperation under the FOCAC framework, the statement said.

To improve the work in planning and implementing China-AU cooperation, the two sides agreed to enrich and enhance the China-AU strategic dialogue. Both will work on creating conditions for mutual establishment of permanent missions.

The Chinese premier is on a four-nation Africa tour to Ethiopia, Nigeria, Angola and Kenya, the first time for him to visit Africa since taking office in 2013.