President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to four African countries will show that China's commitment to the continent reaches beyond business and resources, a senior diplomat said.

"You've noticed that the four African countries the president will visit are not famous for natural resources," Xu Jinghu, director of the African department under the Foreign Ministry, told China Daily.

She was referring to Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius, which Hu will visit after his tour of Saudi Arabia.