Hu is scheduled to visit Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius as part of his first overseas trip in 2009. Beijing is often criticised for its alleged drive to secure natural resources from African states, including from regimes spurned by the West like Sudan, and its "no-strings-attached" attitude towards aid.

For this trip China was quick to point out that the African countries on the itinerary lacked vast natural resources for China to tap into.

Still Mali is Africa's third biggest gold producer and one of the biggest African cotton producers, while Senegal also has iron and gold deposits.

"Senegal is not a country that is rich in natural resources even if there is iron ore, but it in not the Chinese that are mining it, it is the Europeans: Arcelor Mittal," China's ambassador to Senegal Lu Shaye said last week.

"There is also gold but the Chinese are not mining it, the Canadians are. China does not only come to Africa for its natural resources and to use local markets," he added.

Ahead of the visit Beijing highlighted its good intentions in Africa.

"Our energy cooperation in Africa is based on equality and international market practices," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.

"It is open and transparent and does not affect the interests of any third parties. So it is not necessary to worry about China's cooperation with Africa."

During his African trip Hu was expected to announce fresh assistance to the African states he visits.

In Mali Hu was set to lay the first stone of a new bridge in Bamako and open a malaria centre, both projects made possible by Chinese aid. The Chinese president was due to arrive around noon (1100 GMT) and leave around the same time Friday for neighbouring Senegal.

Some political observers say Hu's trip to Africa is less about gaining economic influence and more about gaining political influence.

"It (China) has a deliberate policy of trying to send its leaders everywhere (in Africa) because the political influence of all African countries is important to support China in international forums," said Barry Sautman, a China expert at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

The Chinese ambassador in Dakar stressed that Senegal is "a very important country in West Africa especially in the French-speaking region".

Some, like researcher Adama Gaye who wrote a book about Sino-African relations, said the visit could also be seen as "a nudge and a wink" to the four remaining African states -- Burkina Faso, Gambia, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe-- that recognise China's rival Taiwan where nationalists fled after loosing a civil war in 1949.

Dakar and Beijing re-established diplomatic ties in 2005 after a 10-year hiatus over Senegal's prior recognition of Taiwan.

Since then there has been a string of joint projects. Earlier this year the two countries announced an agreement to revamp several sport stadiums and build a new national theatre.

During his 24-hour visit Hu is scheduled to visit the site where the new theatre is being built. Other details of the visit are not yet known.

In both Senegal and Mali China is helping with the construction of many large scale infrastructure and construction projects.

The World Bank has praised Chinese involvement in Africa saying it has added badly needed new infrastructure that can play an important role in the fight against poverty.

burs-sb/

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