BEIJING, July 18, (Xinhua) -- President Hu Jintao on Wednesday met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Ban is in Beijing for an official visit from July 17 to 19, as well as to attend the opening ceremony of the fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Thursday.

Hu said Ban is an old friend of China, adding that the leaders have met several times since Ban's appointment as secretary-general to exchange views on major international issues.

Hu said Ban's visit and attendance at the opening ceremony of the FOCAC meeting indicates that the UN chief has paid a great deal of attention to UN-China cooperation and strongly supports the new strategic partnership forged between China and African countries.

Ban expressed gratitude for the opportunity to visit the country during his second term as secretary-general.

"This is a great example of how China can contribute to the developing world and to South-South cooperation," Ban said.