GABORONE, April 6 (Xinhua) -- China is and will continue to play an important and constructive role in Botswana and the rest of the African continent, President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana said Saturday.

Officially closing the elective Botswana Democratic Party special congress in Kang, some 400 km southwest of Gaborone, the country's capital city, Masisi said China treats all the African countries equally and Botswana is more willing to deepen cooperation with it.

According to Masisi, China has earnestly assisted Botswana and other countries on the continent to develop in many ways, including holding multilateral meetings, creating more job opportunities and training African employees.

"And I want to thank you for endorsing me such that I can continue to cherish the relationship Botswana has with China for the purposes of development and economic growth," Masisi told the delegates which numbered about a thousand.

Masisi told the party members that China has made it a point that Botswana is linked to the rest of the African continent through the railway line that will be constructed in the northern part of the southern African country.

Botswana is building a railway line project from Mosetse village in the northeastern part of Botswana to the resort corner of Kazungula in the northwestern Botswana, which will link the southern African country with countries like Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania.

"The railway line will also definitely promote regional trade," he said.

"Now for us, it is also important to have China as a partner in all this, because China is playing a very constructive role on the African continent," he said.