Premier Wen Jiabao said Wednesday that countries that provide aid to Africa should focus on helping the continent to boost its capability for self-initiated development.

Countries that provide aid to Africa should pay attention to improving the livelihoods of Africans in order to ensure that these people receive "real" benefit from overseas assistance, Wen said at the World Economic Forum's annual Summer Davos meeting, a three-day event currently being held in the city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

China's relationship with Africa can be traced back to the 1950s and 1960s, when China began providing assistance to the continent despite being in a weak economic state itself.

Although China's state power has strengthened in recent years, its assistance and support for Africa have remained unchanged, Wen said.

China will continue to provide interest-free loans, reduce or cancel the debts of African countries and help the continent to develop agriculture and build infrastructure, Wen said.