BAMAKO: Thousands of people cheered and banged drums here on Friday as President Hu Jintao and his Malian counterpart Amadou Toumani Toure laid the foundation stone for the city's third China-funded bridge across the Niger River.

"The bridge represents a new level of cooperation between China and Mali," Hu said at the laying ceremony.

"Although we haven't given a name to the bridge, today we can officially name it Bridge of Malian-Chinese Friendship," Toure said.