Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou arrived Wednesday in Banjul for a four-day working visit to warm up ties between Gambia and Taipei.

Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh met President Ma at the Banjul international airport, then the two took roads lined with flags of both nations towards the hotel in the city centre where the Taiwanese delegation will be staying.

Many residents including students turned out to see President Ma, who will be with Jammeh to discuss cooperation between the two countries and sign a joint communique, the presidency said.

A former British colony, the west African nation of Gambia is a small enclave in French speaking Senegal, and enjoys a lot of support from Taiwan in key sectors including education, agriculture and health, where it invests millions of dollars annually.