Chinese premier Li Keqiang concluded his four-nation Africa trip and went back to Beijing on Monday. This trip has consolidated Sino-African relations with fruitful achievements in many cooperative areas. The most striking is that Chinese companies acquired two large railway orders from Kenya and Nigeria, which are landmark deals in future Sino-African cooperation.

Before Li, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a seven-day visit to Africa at the end of last March. The two visits, at such a short interval, have rarely been paid by the leaders of other major powers except China.

China's moves on this land have drawn keen attention from the West, which also refocuses their eyes on this "hopeless" continent, as they once thought. However, they returned here still with the outdated political mindsets and the air of Africa's former suzerains.

Much aid they provide to Africa is not meant for humanitarian purposes, but a bargaining chip to change this land into what they want. Almost every economic investment they make must require a political payback.

But this is not the same case between China and Africa, both of which are enjoying a more positive relationship. That is because our bilateral cooperation is based on an equal footing, carried out for reciprocal purposes and endorsed by the authorities of both sides. As two booming economies, both China and Africa are in urgent need of bilateral cooperation. With the encouragement and guidance of the authorities of both sides, it will produce enormous profits for mutual benefit.

Western leaders are always fond of putting soft power construction, such as democratic establishment and government management on the top of their agenda, which have raised more tensions between the West and Africa.

China puts its emphasis on building infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and transportation. Only by completing these projects can Africa improve its democracy and government management.

Western media, which has a bigger say in international public opinion, labels China's Africa policy "neo-colonialism." However, China doesn't act like a colonist like the West once was, but has become increasingly popular in Africa due to its advocacy of equal-footed cooperation. On the contrary, the West is given a cold shoulder for their aid with many political strings attached.

China's reputation in Africa was not gained overnight, but through efforts from generation to generation. By 2020, the trade volume between Africa and China will probably amount to $400 billion, showing massive potential. The opportunity to help Africa's development is open to the whole world, but the West will hardly take the initiative if they continue showing their arrogance and forcing Africa to follow suit.

It is up to the West to decide whether they would like to be a normal partner with Africa and a fair competitor with China, or lag behind in Africa's new development.