NAIROBI, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Xinhua News Agency, China's state news agency, kicked off a special news coverage program, Focusing on Africa, on Sunday as four of its staff reporters departed for Johannesburg, South Africa, from the Xinhua Africa Regional Bureau in Nairobi.

They will visit South Africa, Namibia and three other southern African countries to cover wide-range topics related to African affairs and China-Africa relations through interviews with heads of state, officials, scholars, business leaders and ordinary people of those countries.

Four other Xinhua reporters on the same assignment will head to five west African countries, including Cameroon and Cote d'Ivoire, said Tang Shuifu, director of Xinhua Africa Regional Bureau.

Chen Yao, leader of the program, said she hoped her report would help Chinese people know more about Africa and reduce people's misunderstanding about the continent. Chen, who worked in the Nairobi office as an editor between 2002 and 2004, expressed excitement for taking part in this program, which will release numerous news stories in seven languages, including Chinese, English and French, as well as pictures, audio and video programs.

Zhang Chongfang, who heads the team to the southern African countries, said "People often link Africa to bad things like AIDS, conflict and poverty, but Africa is actually a continent full of hope."

"We will do our best to inform our readers of Africa comprehensively," Zhang said.

"The major aim of this 12-nation mission, counting Egypt and Kenya, is to promote better understanding between the Chinese and African people through our in-depth and objective reports on Africa topics," Tang said.

"We need to present our global audience a real Africa and hugepotentials of China-Africa cooperation," he said.

Tang said the month-long news coverage coincides with the Forumon China-Africa Cooperation Beijing summit scheduled in early November, when about 40 African heads of the state will participate to discuss with Chinese leaders on further promoting the China-Africa partnership.

"This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-African diplomatic ties, and has been widely recognized as China's Year of Africa because China-Africa relationship is drawing great attentions both at home and abroad," Tang said.

This year saw the publication of China's first state policy towards Africa in January, followed by visits by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao to African countries respectively in April and June.

China, which regards the African continent as an important force for world peace and development, has forged diplomatic relations with 48 of 53 African countries. Trade and investment now emerge as a dominant factor in China-Africa cooperation, with bilateral trade volume roaring from some 4 billion U.S. dollars in1995 to nearly 40 billion dollars last year. Enditem