BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Sudanese President Omer Hassan Ahmed El-Bashir Friday praised his country's friendly cooperation with China in diverse sectors as "exemplary" in South-South cooperation.

    Sudan is one of the African countries that have the closest links with China, while China is Sudan's No. 1 partner, El-Bashir said in a meeting with a group of journalists in Beijing.

    Chinese investment in Sudan totaled four billion U.S. dollars last year.

    The two countries have maintained all-round development in many fields since they forged diplomatic ties nearly 50 years ago, said El-Bashir.

    The two countries have intensified trade and economic cooperation with the presence of many Chinese companies in Sudan, covering areas of electricity and irrigation, he added.

    The president spoke highly of the people-to-people cooperation between the two countries, which has enhanced their political, economic and cultural relations.

    China is friendly to the African world and it never interferes into other countries' internal affairs, he said, adding that China's relations with the African countries are based on amicable cooperation and common development.

    El-Bashir arrived here Wednesday for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on the China-Africa Cooperation slated for Nov. 4-5. A total of 48 African countries having diplomatic relations with China will attend the summit, a landmark in China-Africa relations.

    China and Sudan forged diplomatic relations on Feb. 4, 1959. Chinese President Hu Jintao met with El-Bashir in 2005, on the sidelines of Asia-Africa Summit. Bilateral trade topped 3.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2005.