The China-Africa Cooperation Forum ( FOCAC) has set a good example for the South-South cooperation since its foundation ten years ago, said former Egyptian ambassador to China Mohamed Abdul Wahab El Saket on Thursday.

Mohamed Abdul, who is also a counselor for the Chinese Studies Center in the University of Helwan, made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on eve of the upcoming ten-year anniversary of the FOCAC.

Launched in 2000, the China-Africa Cooperation Forum was designed as a platform for consultation and dialogue, and the forum's ministerial conference meets every three years. Since its establishment a decade ago, FOCAC has nurtured a strategic partnership and cooperation between both sides.

Abdul Wahab said that the pragmatic cooperation was forged widely and was welcomed by African countries to ensure further relations between China and African countries in the 21st Century.

The latest gathering of the forum was held in Egypt last year. A number of plans aimed at improving the livelihood of Africans were discussed during the fourth ministerial meeting in Sharm el- Sheikh of Egypt.

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao announced eight new measures in the meeting to enhance partnership with African countries in the fields of agriculture, debt relief, market access expansion, climate change, medical affairs, education, environmental protection and promotion of investment.

Abdul Wahab noted that China has attached no political conditions or ideology to their economic cooperation with Africa, "however, China aims to support mutual benefits."

"The forum has achieved various goals. China dropped debts on many poor African nations and developed a fund that could help creating projects between Africa's nations and China," added the former ambassador.

Trade between China and African nations has increased from 10.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2000 to 106.8 billion dollars in 2008, according to China's Commerce Ministry. More than 1,600 Chinese firms have invested in Africa, boosting local economic growth and creating thousands of jobs, the ministry's statistics showed.

"The project plans and their implementation between both sides have assisted many African nations in challenging the economic problems they face and have increased the living conditions in these nations," Abdul Wahab added.

"As the forum grows, it will keep contributing to the mutual benefit between China and African countries, especially that there is room for further cooperation that can affect the whole world in the 21st century," he added.