Mali and China signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to promote tourism cooperation between the countries, according to official information reaching Dakar.

Under the document inked between the Malian Ministry of Tourism and the China Travel Agency, the two sides will intensify cooperation in sharing information, developing tourist products and promoting tourist flows.

It allows Malian travel agencies to enter China's tourism market, making Mali abreast with several other African countries taking shares of the Chinese market.

The two sides also agreed to facilitate the entry visa for tourists on the basis of reciprocity.

(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2009)