From January 13 to 15, 2005, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing paid an official visit to Mali. Although the schedule was tightly arranged, Minister Li still took time to visit the graveyard in memory of seven Chinese nationals, including Dai Xuezhong, the former counselor with the Economic and Commercial Section of the Chinese Embassy in Mali. The 7 comrades sacrificed their valuable lives in the foreign land during the course of carrying out their diplomatic mission and foreign assistance tasks, strengthening the economic and technological cooperation between China and Mali and promoting the China-Mali traditional friendship. On January 14, Minister Li came to the memorial park in Bamako, accompanied by the delegation and the staffs of the Chinese embassy, laying flowers and paying silent tributes in front of gravestones of Dai Xuezhong and other Chinese experts.

After laying flowers, Minister Li said, "Dai Xuezhong and other 6 comrades sacrificed their valuable lives for the China-Mali friendship. Some of them were only more than 30 years old when they were gone. I am very sad. They have not completed their missions. We should continue to complete them. That is to maintain world peace, promote common development and advance China-Mali and China-Africa friendships." Li said emotionally that he had worked and lived in Africa for 9 years during his 42-year diplomatic career. He had ever visited more than 40 countries in Africa. He was emotionally linked with Africa. He hoped that every staffs could succeed to the unfulfilled mission left over by the seven heroes, conquer difficulties and make contribution to promoting China-Africa and China-Mali friendships.

Li was accompanied by Wei Wenhua, Chinese Ambassador to Mali, Qin Gang, Deputy Director-General of the Information Department, Zhang Kunsheng, Counselor of the General Office, Zhang Youhua, Counselor of the Economic and Commercial Section of the Chinese Embassy in Mali, and other officials.