Ripples of enthusiastic applause resounded throughout the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Dar es Salaam of Tanzania on Monday.

That's where visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed a packed auditorium and lauded concerted efforts to cement China-Africa ties while mapping out a future course for their cooperation.

"With a source, a river runs deep," Xi said, citing an old African proverb in reference to China-Africa friendship, which found its origin in the African national liberation movement after the Second World War and has stood the test of time based on mutual respect and support.

For the Chinese, they still remember the steadfast support of African countries which helped China resume its membership at the United Nations (UN) and a permanent seat in the UN Security Council in 1971.

The same year saw more than 60 Chinese workers lose their lives on assistance missions to Tanzania.

History has witnessed the time-honored China-Africa friendship, which has, in turn, laid a solid foundation for their further cooperation.

China-Africa relations have entered "a fast-track of all-round development," Xi said, giving credit to the concerted efforts from both sides.

Two-way trade rocketed to nearly 200 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, up from 10.6 billion dollars 12 years ago.

China's total direct investment in the world's least developed continent topped 15 billion dollars by the end of 2012.

Among the bonds linking China and Africa, as Xi put it, were "not only the deep traditional friendship and close ties in common interests, but our respective dreams."

In a globalized world, China's dream of rejuvenation and Africa's aspiration for development have already been inter-connected, with each side holding fresh opportunities for the other.

African countries are eager to draw on China's experience to redesign their development mode, which is now heavily dependent on exports of natural resources and raw materials.

China, meanwhile, hopes to seize the opportunities presented by Africa's development.

As a matter of fact, mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Africa will not only bring tangible benefits to the two sides, but are also conducive to the developing world as a whole.

Xi's 30-minute speech drew dozens of bursts of warm applause, which contained plaudits for China-Africa friendship, recognition of the mutually beneficial relationship and, more importantly, great expectations for their future cooperation.