China is a major creditor to African economies, having lent them billions of dollars over the last two decades.

"The origin of Africa's debt problem is complex, and the debt profile of each country varies," China's foreign ministry told Reuters.

"We are aware that some countries and international organisations have called for debt relief programmes for African countries, and we are willing to study the possibility of it jointly with the international community."

China is a member of the G20 group of economies, which meets this week. The group is expected to make an agreement on debt relief for the world’s poorest nations.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are also pushing for debt relief to help poor countries during the virus.