China and African countries should pay more attention to African regional integration in a bid to have the two partners benefit more from their cooperation, participants to a symposium?in Harare?were told on Friday.

China will phase in zero-tariff treatment to 95 percent of the products from least developed African countries, starting with 60 percent of the products in 2010. So, there is need for China to engage Africa through regional economic communities so that the two partners benefit more from their cooperation, officials and scholars said at the 3rd Symposium on China-Africa and China- Zimbabwe relations.

Addressing the symposium, deputy secretary for foreign affairs in the Zimbabwe government Godfrey Magwenzi said it was important to place China's cooperation with Africa within the context of regional integration.

"It is important and relevant to situate the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation within the regional context given the importance the African union attaches to regional integration as a strategy for achieving the broader objective of continental integration.

He said Africa recognized the immense contribution made by China towards building Africa's capacity to achieve the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, particularly in health and education.

"There is, however, scope for value addition through assistance to SADC and COMESA programs on combating major diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV and Aids. Although programs are implemented at national level, regional secretariats coordinate the development of frameworks of action for harmonization, alignment and monitoring of the research agenda, building of effective partnerships between authorities and civil society, strengthening of regulatory frameworks," he said.