Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will pay an official visit to Ghana on Sunday and Monday. The following are some key facts about the steady development of the Chinese-Ghanian relationship since the two countries established diplomatic ties on July 5, 1960.

Ghana, a West African country with an ancient civilization, was among the first countries in sub-Sahara Africa to establish diplomatic relations with China.

Since the late 1970s, there have been frequent exchanges of high-level visits, which have helped deepen mutual understanding between the two countries and promote bilateral cooperation significantly in such fields as economy, trade and culture.

Ghana attaches great importance to its relationship with China, and has given strong support to China in dealing with international affairs.

In 1971, then Vice Foreign Minister John Agyekum Kufuor -- Ghana's incumbent president -- led a Ghanian delegation to the UN General Assembly and voted on behalf of his country to restore China's legitimate seat at the United Nations.

Ghana has always adhered to the one-China policy, and President Kufuor and the Ghanian government have repeatedly affirmed their unswerving position on the Taiwan issue. The country has also given support to China on many important issues like human rights.

On its part, China has attached great importance to the economic and trade cooperation with Ghana, and provided Ghana with aid as much as possible.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China has provided aid in construction of a series of important projects in Ghana, and reduced or written off Ghana's debts to China.

Two-way trade between the sides has grown steadily in the past few decades. The trade volume amounted to 769 million U.S. dollars in 2005, a sharp increase as compared with 76 million dollars in 1995.

Bilateral exchange in the cultural and educational sectors is also expanding. China held an art festival in Accra in 2004. More and more Ghanians have gone or are going to China for training courses as part of the follow-up to the China-Africa Cooperation Forum.