China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said Saturday that the China-Africa friendship is a trend of history and a shared wish of the people.

To enhance the China-Africa traditional friendship, increase practical cooperation and promote common development is the shared aspiration of the 2.3 billion Chinese and African people, including the young, Wu said at the opening ceremony of the China-Africa Young Leaders Forum.

Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China's top legislature, said China and Africa are good brothers that treat each other as equals.

"We were both victims of imperialist and colonialist aggression and oppression. We both hate to see the big, strong and rich bullying the small, weak and poor. We both cherish the value of equality and mutual respect, which has enabled our friendship to be carried forward," he said.

"The Chinese government was the first to recognize the new independent states in Africa and to extend support and assistance when African countries needed them most," Wu said.

"Until now, China has provided Africa with accumulative assistance of all kinds worth 93 billion yuan (14.3 billion U.S. dollars). It helped build over 900 projects for more than 50 African countries, canceled 325 debts worth 20.3 billion yuan (3.2 billion dollars) for 35 African countries and trained 35,000 specialists," he said.

Over the past decades, many Chinese engineers, medical workers, and agricultural experts came to Africa and dedicated themselves to the development of Africa and to China-Africa friendship. Hundreds of Chinese aid workers have been laid to rest on the African continent, Wu said.

Throughout the years, the peoples of China and Africa have given each other understanding and support on issues concerning each other's core interests and have forged an invaluable friendship, Wu said.

"This ever-growing friendship has become a unique strategic advantage and valuable asset for China and Africa," Wu said.

Meanwhile, Wu said, China and Africa are good partners engaged in mutually beneficial cooperation.

Over the past decades, trade volume between China and Africa has grown from 10 billion dollars to 126.9 billion dollars, and China now has become Africa's largest trade partner, Wu said.

Wu listed concrete examples to demonstrate the friendship and the win-win cooperation between China and Africa, stressing that the young people of China and Africa are playing an important and irreplaceable role in advancing China-Africa friendship.

Wu also urged an expansion of the role of the forum to help promote China-Africa relations, and presented three suggestions in that regard.

First, the forum should serve the overall interests of China-Africa relations, Wu said.

To that end, the forum's work should be integrated into the overall framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) established under the joint initiative of China and African countries in 2000, which has a guiding function in China-Africa cooperation, Wu said.

China is ready to give necessary support and assistance as the youth forum grows, he said.

Wu described the Young Leaders Forum as a new yet important platform for China and Africa to increase exchanges among their young people, and a major event in the friendly exchanges between the young people of China and Africa.

Moreover, he said that this forum plays a significant role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and African peoples.

Second, Wu suggested the Young Leaders Forum should promote the traditional friendship between China and Africa.

"Our traditional friendship, forged and nurtured by Chinese and African leaders of the older generation, is an inexhaustible source of strength and a valuable asset supporting the robust growth of China-Africa relations," he said.

"I hope our young friends will make it their mission to carry forward the China-Africa traditional friendship," Wu said, adding that emphasis should be given to strengthening the friendly exchanges and mutual understanding between Chinese and African youths.

Thirdly, Wu suggested the Young Leaders Forum promote China-Africa practical cooperation, an important task in advancing China-Africa ties.

"I hope you will bring into full play the advantage of the forum as one that brings talented people together, and offer suggestions and recommendations on enhancing China-Africa practical cooperation," he said.

"I hope you will serve as a bridge for companies and enterprises to strengthen cooperation and contribute your share to greater exchanges between people of the two sides," he said.

Wu arrived in Namibia Thursday afternoon to visit the country as a guest of Speaker of the Namibian National Assembly Theo-Ben Gurirab.

Namibia is the first leg of Wu's four-nation trip, which also includes visits to Angola, South Africa and Maldives.