The upcoming visit to Angola by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is bound to boost Sino-Angolan relations and is conducive to the establishment of a new pattern of strategic relationships between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Bolun has said in Luanda.

The Chinese government attached importance to developing Sina-Angolan ties and the upcoming visit to Luanda by Xi as part of his four-nation tour, was expected to help usher in a new era of the friendly and cooperative ties between the two countries, Zhang said.

Sino-Angolan relations were on a smooth and healthy track built up on the basis of equality, mutual trust and benefit since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1983, Zhang said.

The ambassador said China had provided some 4.5 billions of U.S. dollars in loans since the year 2002 when the civil war ended in Angola, to support its post-war reconstruction efforts and would continue to extend credits to the African country.

Currently over 50 large-scale and state-owned companies and over 400 private companies from China are operating in Angola's reconstruction process, including the construction or rehabilitation of housing projects, harbors, railways, highways, energy, telecommunications, power and water supplies and other basic infrastructures, Zhang said.

Angola enjoyed stable political situations as well as rapid economic development, and the Angolan government sticked to its policy of " unity, reconciliation and reconstruction" and was willing to develop friendly and cooperative ties with all countries in the world community, and therefore laid the foundations for further development of Sino-Angolan ties, the envoy said.

Angola has become China's largest trading partner in Africa as trade between the two countries was rising steadily during the past decade, and bilateral trade volume stood at some 20 billion dollars annually.

In 2009, the volume dropped to 17 billion dollars under the impact of the world financial crisis, but was expected to hit the 20 billion-dollar mark again in 2010 which witnesses a steady economic recovery in Angola from the international financial crisis, Zhang said.

He saw great potentials in further developing Sino-Angolan relations as Angola had mapped out a sustainable and comprehensive economic policy to reduce its dependence on oil revenues and give priority to the development of farming, service industries, renewable energies, transport and other basic infrastructures.

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has said on many occasions that his country hoped to become a force of peace in world affairs and to promote peace and stability on the African continent.