Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Saturday China and Africa are good brothers and partners who engage in cooperation as equals.

In its cooperation with Africa, China has never been condescending, has never interfered in internal affairs of African countries and has never issued an empty check, said Wang at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

"So far, we have helped African countries build more than 1,000 projects and we have never attached any conditions to these projects.This fact alone can show all the groundless accusations against China are pale," said Wang.

"China and Africa are good brothers who share weal and woe. When China was a poor country, we tightened our belt to support the cause of national independence and liberation of our African brothers," said Wang.

Wang said it was also African brothers who got the People's Republic of China back into the United Nations.

Premier Li Keqiang will pay his first visit to Africa this year as head of the Chinese government, after a successful African visit made by President Xi Jinping last year, according to Wang.

China and Africa are also good partners for common development, Wang said.

"When I visited Africa in January this year, many African friends told me in person that an important reason of Africa's sustained economic growth is the boost of China-African cooperation, which also got other countries to increase their attention to Africa."

"This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first African visit of late Premier Zhou Enlai. Since then, China-African friendship has been handed down from generation to generation."

China-African cooperation is entering a new phase of development, said Wang.