Contrary to Western claims, experts in Sino-Africa relations believe the recent $10 billion pledge in new low-cost loans by China to Africa will further boost trade, commodity exports and infrastructure development rather than plunge the continent into further debt.

China's premier, Wen Jiabao, last week pledged the loans for the next three years at a China-Africa summit in Egypt and defended China's engagement against accusations it is "plundering" the continent's oil and minerals.

The loan pledge was double a commitment made in 2006 and came during a summit at which delegates from both sides stressed their ties go beyond the Chinese acquisition of raw materials.

The Executive Director of Asian Studies at the Gordon Institute of Business Studies in South Africa, Dr Martyn Davies, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday that the loan pledge is "significant" and those who claim it will put Africa back into debt are "exaggerating".

"This is a unique and significant financing because it comes at a single time from a single source," Davies said. "It is also concessional loans, which are low risk; and on top of that, China will write off one third of the debt."

Davies, who is also the CEO of Frontier Advisory - an emerging market research firm - said the loans will "undoubtedly boost trade", especially through procurement of construction materials from the Asian country.

China has also pledged that it will reduce trade tariffs, a trend which Davies believes is a positive one, especially after the global recession that has resulted in countries protecting their own domestic markets.

"It's ironic that some countries are going on about doing away with protectionism but there is no action on the ground, except China which has become very assertive in advocating for free trade," said Davies.

Agriculture and infrastructure development in the region are some of the main sectors that Davies said would benefit from the Sino-Africa relationship. The ever-growing Chinese population, which is hungry for commodities, is expected to help spur export growth from the continent, especially after exports plummeted during the global downturn.

Professor Garth Shelton of Wits University in South Africa also supported Davies' view that if African countries develop good proposals, the $10 billion could have a very positive impact on the continent.

For example, he said, the new road and rail links built with Chinese assistance could play a very important role in advancing regional development.

Trade between China and Africa jumped 45 percent to $107 billion in 2008, a tenfold increase since 2000. However, it went down about 25 percent, and the new loans are likely to sustain the expansion.

"By the middle of next year, the global recession should be over, opening the way for new China-Africa trade," said Shelton. "Africa can benefit significantly from increased commodity exports to China."

Regarding the West and the IMF's concern about African governments taking on too much debt from Chinese lenders, Shelton said the IMF may be a "bit over-cautious in this regard". He said it is up to African countries to manage their debt effectively.

"China offered a good range of co-operative ventures," he said. "It is up to Africa to take advantage of what China has offered and turn them into an opportunity for economic development."

While in Egypt, Premier Wen defended allegations that China has come to Africa to plunder its resources and practice neo-colonialism. "This allegation, in my view, is totally untenable," he said.

But Beijing has drawn criticism that Chinese finance, which comes without political conditions, props up unsavoury regimes in Zimbabwe and Sudan and fuels corruption.

Wen said eight new policy measures were "more focused on improving people's livelihoods" than the 2006 package, underlining what he called Beijing's "selfless" engagement in Africa.