MashGet

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt (AP) - China's premier stressed Saturday that his country's push to boost already burgeoning trade ties with Africa was "sincere and selfless," as the Asian powerhouse battled criticism its quest for natural resources was at the expense of the poverty-ravaged continent.

In a speech punctuated with terms like "equality" and "mutual benefit," Wen Jiabao appeared to be setting the stage for a China-Africa summit starting Sunday that would allow Beijing to both continue its investment inroads into Africa and mute critics who argue that its need to fuel its growing economy has allowed it to ignore the dismal human rights records of many of the continent's nations.