Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama met Thursday with Chinese President Hu Jintao's special envoy Li Liguo, who arrived here to attend Friday's scheduled funeral of Ghana's late President John Evans Atta Mills.

Mills died on July 24 at the age of 68 at a military hospital in Accra.

During the meeting, Mahama said "China is a true friend of Africa, not only in terms of economic cooperation, but also in terms of political solidarity."

He vowed to move Ghana-China relations to a higher level and recalled China's announcement of 20 billion USdollars development assistance to the continent in the 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), describing the move as "the single biggest portfolio of economic cooperation that has been extended to Africa from any part of the world."

He assured that under his administration Ghana and China relation will be deepened further.

"I wish through you to assure President Hu Jintao and the people of China that we would maintain the very warm and close relationship that exists between our two countries, and we will work together to move it into an even higher level," Mahama told Li.

The Chinese special envoy, also Minister of Civil Affairs, sent condolence to Mahama over the death of Mills on behalf of Chinese President Hu Jintao, the government and the people.

He also expressed the commitment to develop China-Ghana relations.