Pretoria, Feb 7: Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in South Africa today to sign economic deals a

Pretoria, Feb 7: Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in South Africa today to sign economic deals as part of his tour of Africa where there are concerns such agreements will only hurt the continent's poor countries.

He is scheduled to sign energy, mineral and agricultural contracts in South Africa after pledging to provide Namibia with funding and expertise for schools and tourism.

Hu was met at O.R. Tambo airport in Johannesburg by a guard of honour and South African Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and left for the capital Pretoria for a meeting with President Thabo Mbeki.

Although many African governments welcome closer ties with Beijing, analysts say the continent's poor countries must examine deals with the Asian economic powerhouse and protect weak manufacturing sectors from cheaper Chinese imports.

David Monyae, an international relations lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said South Africa was better placed for a mutually beneficial relationship with China than some of its poorer continental neighbours.

''The figures reflect (trade with South Africa) is in China's favour. That is a gap that should really be closed in any relationship,'' Monyae told Reuters. South Africa is the continent's biggest economy.

Monyae said China was a potential source of growth for several of South Africa's highly industrialised sectors but added: ''Most African countries are negotiating with China from a position of weakness in all respects.'' South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad has said Pretoria will push to cut Beijing's $3 billion trade surplus but still believed China's courtship of Africa was hugely beneficial.

On Saturday, Zambia President Levy Mwanawasa and Hu declared the little mining town of Chambishi, 420 km (260 miles) north of Lusaka, a special economic zone where Chinese firms will be exempted from paying certain taxes.

Anti-Chinese Sentiment

There has been a rise in anti-Chinese sentiment over fears it is exploiting local workers and that its growing economic muscle in Africa could undermine regional industries.

Trade links between China and Africa have jumped since 2004 when Hu announced a drive to boost ties with the energy- and mineral-rich continent.

At a Sino-African summit in Beijing last year, Hu offered $5 billion in loans and credits to Africa along with a doubling of aid.

Over the past year Beijing has suffered its oil workers being kidnapped in Nigeria, its investment policies being attacked in Zambia's elections and its textile exports to South Africa being criticised for destroying jobs.

Hu's most sensitive stop has been in Sudan, where his country's ''no strings attached'' aid policy has infuriated many in the West who want China to use its economic muscle to persuade Khartoum to end atrocities in its Darfur region.

Pahad told state radio on Tuesday it was encouraging that Chinese companies like mining and trading firm Sinosteel Corp. had decided to invest millions of dollars in South Africa.

Reuters