Jan 14 (Reuters) - Malawi has cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan after 41 years and established links with China, which has become a major economic power in Africa.

China's government and its state-controlled companies have invested billions of dollars in Africa in a bid to tap natural resources for the Asian giant's growing economy and build Beijing's political influence in the developing world.

Trade links between China and Africa took a leap forward after President Hu Jintao's 2004 visit when he announced a drive to strengthen relations with the continent.

China is now seriously challenging Europe's historical influence there and has become the continent's third biggest trading partner.

Here are some key details:

* SOME NUMBERS:

-- China's total trade with Africa hit $58.72 billion in the first 10 months of 2007, up 30.3 percent from a year earlier, of which:

-- Exports are $30.05 billion, up 40.7 percent from a year earlier, but accounting for only 3 percent of China's total exports in the same period.

-- Imports are $28.66 billion, up 20.9 percent from a year earlier and accounting for 3.7 percent of China's total imports in the same period.

-- The following are China's top 10 African traders in the first 10 months (in billion of dollars):

Country Trade Export Import

1) South Africa 11.67 6.13 5.54

2) Angola 10.34 0.98 9.36

3) Sudan 4.70 1.26 3.44

4) Egypt 3.76 3.55 0.21

5) Nigeria 3.51 2.98 0.53

6) Algeria 2.97 2.19 0.78

7) Congo 2.63 0.34 2.29

8) Morocco 2.18 1.83 0.35

9) Libya 2.01 0.72 1.29 10) Equatorial Guinea 1.70 0.08 1.62

* TIMELINE OF RECENT TRADE DEALS:

Jan 2006 - China's top offshore oil producer CNOOC agrees to pay $2.3 billion for a stake in a Nigerian oil and gas field, its largest ever overseas acquisition.

April 2006 - Hu wraps up an Africa tour by concluding an offshore exploration deal with Kenya. The pact allows CNOOC to explore in six blocks covering 115,343 sq km (44,500 sq miles) in the north and south of Kenya. Two days earlier Beijing strikes a $4 billion deal for drilling licences in Nigeria, including grants for economic and technical cooperation, anti-malarial medicine and rice.

Nov 2006 - China and Africa sign 16 agreements worth a total of $1.9 billion. The deals between 12 Chinese firms and 11 African governments and companies, followed Hu's pledge offering $5 billion in loans and credit, and doubling aid by 2009.

Feb 2007 - Hu begins an eight-nation tour of Africa, signing multimillion-dollar accords with Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and the Seychelles, and cancelling debt in several countries.

Sept 2007 - Shenzhen Energy Investment announces plans to team up with an Africa development fund set up by China to build a 200-megawatt gas-fired plant in Ghana costing 1.03 billion yuan ($137.2 million). China launched the fund in June with initial capital of $1 billion.

Sept 2007 - China offers the Democratic Republic of Congo a $5 billion loan and infrastructure development package, which includes $3 billion for strategic highway and railroad projects linking DRC's mineral-rich interior to its southern neighbours and Atlantic shipping routes. The remaining $2 billion was to go to revive the country's mining sector.

Oct 2007 - China's biggest lender, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, agrees to pay $5.6 billion for 20 percent of South Africa's Standard Bank, the biggest foreign purchase by a Chinese commercial bank. (Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit)

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