Today in History: October 25, 1960 , Ke Hua, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Mali exchanged letters with Modibo Ketta, President of the Republic of Mali on the establishment of the diplomatic relations of the two countries, thereby completing officially the procedures for the setting-up of the diplomatic ties
Since the establishment of the diplomatic relations, China has provided Mali with such aid as textile mill, combined sugar refinery, leather processing factory, pharmacy, stadium, infrastructure building and other projects
China subsequently signed with Malian agreement of goods exchange and payment in February 1961.
The major exports from China to Mali are: tea, mechanic and electric products and motorbikes, etc. while the major imports to China from Mali are: cotton and untreated cowhide.
The two countries witnessed a trade value of US$ 23.35 million in 2002, of which the export from China came to US$ 21.62 million and the import accounted for US$ 1.73 million. This amount has grown steadily over the years resulting in multiple projects in the region
In 2016 The governments of Senegal and Mali entered into agreements with China Railway Construction Corp (International) Ltd for the repair and reconstruction of the 1 286 km metre-gauge railway between the port of Dakar and Bamako.
China has also actively participated in UN’s peacekeeping missions in Mali and will continue to support the efforts of countries in the Sahel region to safeguard regional peace and security
A Chinese peacekeeper and three civilians working for the UN’s Mali mission have become the latest casualties of the troubled outfit, the UN and China’s foreign ministry said. The last month alone has seen three attacks on members of the mission, known as MINUSMA, fuelling concern over its future with 65 killed in under three years.
/ AFP / STR
In August 2018 Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita ahead of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and said that the Sino-Malian friendship was established by older generation leaders of the two countries.
The fate of the people of the two countries has been closely linked during the process of striving for independence and promoting social and economic development.
