China’s premier, has pledged $10 billion in new low-cost loans to Africa over the next three years.  The loan pledge for Africa was double a $5 billion commitment made in 2006.

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“There have been allegations for a long time that China has come to Africa to plunder its resources and practice neo-colonialism. This allegation, in my view, is totally untenable,” Wen said at a news conference.

Trade between China and Africa jumped 45 percent, to $107 billion, in 2008, a tenfold increase since 2000, and the new loans are likely to sustain the expansion.

But Beijing has attracted Western criticism that Chinese finance, which comes free of political conditions, is propping up unsavory regimes in Zimbabwe and Sudan and fueling corruption.

Wen said eight new Chinese policy measures aimed at strengthening relations with Africa were “more focused on improving people’s livelihoods,” underlining what he called Beijing’s “selfless” engagement in Africa.

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