Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf arrived in Beijing on Saturday evening, the first among African leaders to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

 

The summit will run from Nov. 4 to 5. The Liberian president will also pay a state visit to China on the sidelines of the summit.

 

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, 48 African countries have decided to send delegations to the summit, of which more than 40 will be headed by their heads of state or government.

 

Besides Beijing, Johnson-Sirleaf will also visit the southern port city of Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, Changsha in central Hunan Province, the northern port city of Tianjin, and the northeastern industrial city of Shenyang in Liaoning Province.

 

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf took office in January 2006 and is the first female president in Africa.

 

(Xinhua New Agency October 29, 2006)