Malian President Amadou Toumany Toure arrived in Beijing on Thursday for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

A total of 48 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China are to participate in the two-day summit, which is scheduled to start on Nov. 4.

The existing cooperative relations between Africa and China served as a model for South-South cooperation, Toure told Xinhua prior to his departure for China. The summit will definitely promote the implementation of new cooperative policies between Africa and China, he added.

At the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Toure paid a five-day state visit to China in July of 2004.

China and Mali established diplomatic relations on Oct. 25, 1960 and bilateral trade totaled 145 million U.S. dollars in 2005.

Source: Xinhua