According to the Senegalese presidency, the two sides inked a deal to set up a joint body to deepen economic, commercial and technological cooperation.

Under another pact, China extended loans for new buses. A third agreement was a contract for China to buy peanut oil, the presidency said but did not say how much the deals were worth.

Neither Hu nor his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade spoke with reporters and no press conferences are planned during the visit.

Earlier Friday Hu spoke in Mali of the need for China to strengthen relations with Africa during this time of economic crisis.

"We are both developing countries facing the international economic crisis, we should strengthen our relationship. China will continue its aid to Mali," he said at a foundation stone ceremony for a bridge on the River Niger in Bamako.

China is criticised in the West over its drive to secure natural resources from African states, including from regimes spurned by the West, and Hu has been anxious on his trip to push forward talk of investment and debt-relief.

China's economy has boomed over recent years, driving oil and other commodity prices to record highs in a scramble for raw materials. The African continent has become a key focus in its efforts to secure supplies.

Beijing is often accused of giving little in return and Hu's trip to four less resource-rich African nations -- Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius -- has been seen as a move to counter such claims.

Official Chinese figures show trade between China and Africa jumped 45 percent in 2008, with Chinese exports to the continent up 36.3 percent and its imports, mainly oil, soaring 54 percent.

Western critics of China's growing role in Africa accuse Beijing of acting in a colonial fashion, focusing only on its own interests, and dealing with outcast regimes such as in Sudan.

Beijing has strongly rejected such criticism, insisting that its involvement is even-handed and of mutual benefit to it and its African partners.

Although relatively small Mali and Senegal still have significant resources.

Mali is Africa's third biggest gold producer, one of its biggest cotton producers and has recently discovered uranium deposits while Senegal has iron ore, some gold and untapped oil reserves.

In the past few years, China has ramped up its cooperation and aid efforts in both Mali and Senegal, focusing on infrastructure projects, healthcare and education.

Dakar and Beijing re-established diplomatic ties in 2005 after a 10-year hiatus over Senegal's recognition of Taiwan. Hu's visit is widely seen as a reward to Dakar for returning to the fold of its one-China policy.

Hu will meet with senior Senegalese politicians on Saturday morning before visiting the site of a new national theatre being built with Chinese aid and then goes on to Tanzania. He will wrap up his tour in Mauritius.

earlier related report
China's Hu takes Africa tour to Senegal
President Hu Jintao arrived in Senegal Friday on an African tour aimed at boosting cooperation and fending off accusations that China exploits the continent's resources to sate its booming economy.

Hu made no comment as he was welcomed by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, but spoke in Mali earlier Friday of the need for China to strengthen relations with Africa during this time of economic crisis.

"We are both developing countries facing the international economic crisis, we should strengthen our relationship. China will continue its aid to Mali," he said at a foundation stone ceremony for a bridge on the River Niger in Bamako.

China is criticised in the West over its drive to secure natural resources from African states, including from regimes spurned by the West, and Hu has been anxious on his trip to push forward talk of investment and debt-relief.

China's economy has boomed over recent years, driving oil and other commodity prices to record highs in a scramble for raw materials. The African continent has become a key focus in its efforts to secure supplies.

Beijing is often accused of giving little in return and Hu's trip to four less resource-rich African nations -- Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius -- has been seen as a move to counter such claims.

Official Chinese figures show trade between China and Africa jumped 45 percent in 2008, with Chinese exports to the continent up 36.3 percent and its imports, mainly oil, soaring 54 percent.

Western critics of China's growing role in Africa accuse Beijing of acting in a colonial fashion, focusing only on its own interests, and dealing with outcast regimes such as in Sudan.

Beijing has strongly rejected such criticism, insisting that its involvement is even-handed and of mutual benefit to it and its African partners.

Speaking in the Senegalese daily Walfadjri, researcher Adama Gaye, who wrote a book about Sino-African relations, said Hu's visit showed Beijing's desire to show the world it could play a broader role in Africa.

"The fact that he is coming to countries not known for having vast natural resources like Senegal and Mali shows China's desire to say -- 'hey, looking beyond natural resources we value the long bonds of friendship that exist between China and some African states'," Gaye wrote.

Although relatively small Mali and Senegal still have significant resources.

Mali is Africa's third biggest gold producer, one of its biggest cotton producers and has recently discovered uranium deposits while Senegal has iron ore, some gold and untapped oil reserves.

In the past few years, China has ramped up its cooperation and aid efforts in both Mali and Senegal, focusing on infrastructure projects, healthcare and education.

Dakar and Beijing re-established diplomatic ties in 2005 after a 10-year hiatus over Senegal's recognition of Taiwan. Hu's visit is widely seen as a reward to Dakar for returning to the fold of its one-China policy.

For Hu's visit, Dakar's scenic coastal road from the airport to the centre of town was lined with Chinese and Senegalese flags and welcoming banners.

Hu and Wade were to hold talks later Friday and attend the signing of a number of unspecified agreements.

Before continuing his tour in Tanzania, Hu will meet with senior Senegalese politicians on Saturday morning before visiting the site of a new national theatre being built with Chinese aid.

He then travels on to Mauritius to wrap his tour.

earlier related report
China's Hu vows to increase Africa investment
President Hu Jintao promised Thursday that China would step up its investment in Africa as Beijing looked to his whirlwind tour of Africa to shake off accusations it exploits the continent.

China stressed the trip would focus less on securing energy supplies -- as others in the past had done -- and more on shoring up political ties, boosting aid, and working with Africa to fight the impact of the global economic crisis.

"We will increase our investments in the continent," Hu said in Mali, the first step of a tour that will also take him to Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius.

"China will ask the international community to honor their promises to the developing countries," he said, adding that China would take the lead by reducing the debt owed to Beijing by African nations.

China is often criticized for its alleged drive to secure natural resources from African states, including from regimes spurned by the West like Sudan.

Africa is an important source of raw materials for China as well as a growing market for Chinese exports.

Mali is Africa's third biggest gold producer and is one of the continent's biggest cotton producers and has recently discovered uranium deposits.

China's state-owned aluminium firm Chinalco announced earlier Thursday a 19.5-billion-dollar (15.2-billion-euro) investment in troubled mining giant Rio Tinto, Beijing's biggest investment ever in a foreign company.

Rio Tinto has significant mining interests in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, as well as huge projects in Guinea and Madagascar.

On arrival in Bamako Hu was greeted by Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure who presented him with a calabash filled with kola nuts.

Several hundred Malians had gathered outside the presidential palace in Bamako waving Chinese and Malian flags for the official welcoming ceremony.

After the ceremony Hu and Toure signed several agreements but the contents of the deal were not disclosed.

In a short declaration to the press Hu said China would expand its relations with Mali "in the field of agriculture, telecommunications and new technologies".

In the past few years China has ramped up its cooperation and aid efforts in Mali and Senegal spending on large infrastructure projects, health care and education.

On Friday Hu is set to lay the first stone of a new bridge in Bamako and open a malaria centre. Both projects were made possible by Chinese aid.

After his 24-hour visit, Hu will leave Friday mid-day for neighbouring Senegal. Dakar and Beijing re-established diplomatic ties in 2005 after a 10-year hiatus over Senegal's prior recognition of Taiwan.

For this trip China was quick to point out that Senegal lacked vast natural resources. Senegal does have iron and gold deposits and some oil reserves.

Friday's will focus on the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements, while on Saturday Hu will visit the site of a new national theatre being built with Chinese aid.

The Senegalese branch of human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on president Abdoulaye Wade to put human rights on top of his agenda with Hu.

Ahead of Hu's visit, Beijing said it was ready to work more closely with African countries in the light of the global economic crisis which is expected to affect the continent with a drop in foreign investments, development aid and remittances from workers abroad.

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