David Cameron posts a photo he took with Jack Ma on Twitter, Dec 3, 2013. [Photo/IC]

Jack Ma, executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has been appointed as a non-remunerated member of British Prime Minister David Cameron's Business Advisory Group, according to Agence France-Presse.

The announcement came the day before a four-day state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which is to cement ties between China and the United Kingdom.

According to Cameron's spokeswoman, Ma will "provide particular help and advice on how to get small and medium-sized British businesses boosting their exports and in particular accessing Chinese markets through platforms like Alibaba".

Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne believe that close ties with China are vital to cementing Britain's economic growth in decades to come.

According to AFP, the Business Advisory Group had 19 members in July -- most are chief executives of top British companies, including the heads of BP, EasyJet and Rolls-Royce.

Two years ago, during a three-day visit to China, Cameron joined a closed-door meeting with Ma to seek new opportunities for British companies in China's e-commerce sector.