British Prime Minister David Cameron has appointed Jack Ma, executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, as a non-remunerated member of his Business Advisory Group, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
According to the report, the announcement was made the day before Chinese President Xi Jinping commences his four-day U.K. visit, which aims to strengthen ties between the two countries.
Cameron's spokesperson told media that 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."
The report said that Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne held that having close ties with China would reinforce Britain's economic growth in the future.
During a three-day visit to China two years ago, Cameron joined a closed-door meeting with Ma to help British companies find new opportunities in China's e-commerce sector.
Cameron's spokesperson said that the two would meet later on Monday, Oct. 26. Ma, currently executive chairman of the Alibaba Group, would be joining the prime minister's business advisory group, the spokesperson added.
The AFP said that as of July, the Business Advisory Group had 19 members, most of them are chief executives of top British companies, including the heads of BP, EasyJet and Rolls-Royce.
Jack Ma is part of the Chinese delegation of 150 business leaders that President Xi Jinping took with him for his first state visit to the U.K. The delegation was organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, made up of businessmen from industries that include finance, infrastructure, energy and investment.