BEIJING, March 30 -- Chinese President Xi Jinpinghas congratulated Patrice Talon on being elected Beninese president.

"I attach great importance to the development of the China-Benin relationship," Xi said in a message of congratulation on Friday.

Xi said he would work with Talon to seize the opportunity of implementing the outcome of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, so as to promote sustained and in-depth development of the bilateral cooperative relations of friendship, and to better benefit the two countries and the two peoples.

Talon won the presidential runoff by obtaining 65.37 percent of votes on March 20. He will succeed outgoing President Yayi Boni, whose second term of office ends on April 6, 2016.