Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met African Union chairman and Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso on Monday during a seven-nation tour of Africa.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) visits African Union chairman and Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso in Republic of Congo's capital Brazzaville June 19, 2006. Wen is on a seven-nation tour of the African continent whose oil and minerals are increasingly fuelling Chinese growth. [Reuters]

Wen met Sassou, who holds the rotating African Union chair for one year, for around 30 minutes before leaving delegations from both governments including Congo's ministers of trade, oil foreign affairs and health to two hours of more detailed talks.

"Congo remains a friendly country with whom we have long had amicable relations," Wen said after meeting Sassou.

"The president of the African Union will participate in the China-Africa summit," he added, referring to a meeting in China in November to promote relations between the world's most populous nation and its poorest continent.

Wen's delegation was expected to sign agreements with Congo covering economic and health affairs during the overnight visit.

Wen has already visited Egypt and Ghana on his whistlestop tour of Africa.

Wen told reporters in Cairo on Sunday China would not interfere in countries' internal affairs such as human rights, but also insisted its relations with Africa and Latin America posed no threat to the interests of other countries, in particular the United States.

In Egypt, Wen's delegation signed agreements on communications, trade and energy, and later signed a $70 million deal to help fund an overhaul of Ghana's unreliable telephone networks.

Ghanaian officials said Beijing might finance a $600 million hydroelectric dam in northern Ghana which could boost the West African country's gold and iron ore industries.

"The president (John Kufuor of Ghana) presented the Bui Dam project to the Chinese as one of his priority projects and we're confident it will get funding," Yaw Afari-Donkor, Ghana's Ambassador in Beijing, told Reuters on Monday.

Wen was due to visit Chinese doctors working at a Congolese hospital on Tuesday, and to meet local children learning Chinese at school, before continuing on to South Africa, Angola, Uganda and Tanzania.

Huge potentials for China-Congo cooperation: communique

China and the Republic of the Congo will work together to tap the huge potentials for cooperation in various areas between the two countries, according to a joint communique issued Monday during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's official visit to the west African country.

The two sides agreed that there are huge potentials for bilateral cooperation and pledged to work together to enhance cooperation in areas of agriculture, energy, telecommunications, transport and human resources development. The two governments will provide convenient environment to boost bilateral trade and investment.

They also pledged in the communique to support each other on matters concerning sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Republic of the Congo reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy, in recognition that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China 's territory.

The Chinese side appreciated the efforts of the Congolese government, especially President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, in promoting regional peace and the role of the African Union.

The two sides decided to strengthen cooperation in international affairs and jointly safeguard the rights and interests of developing countries and promote world peace and development.

To enhance cooperation in the prevention and treatment of malaria, the Chinese government will provide anti-malaria drugs for the Republic of the Congo.

The Chinese premier arrived in Brazzaville Monday afternoon and held talks with President Sassou-Nguesso and Prime Minister Isidore Mvouba, exchanging views on bilateral relations and issues of common interests.

Brazzaville is the third leg of Wen's seven-nation African trip, which has already taken him to Egypt and Ghana. Premier Wen will also visit Angola, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.