BAMAKO: China has agreed to finance a much-needed overhaul of Malian stretch of key railway line between Bamako and Dakar, the transport ministry said on Monday. The renovation, costing $1.4 billion dollars, comes after China last week said it would also finance Senegalese part of the line, for over $1.1 billion. The Bamako-Dakar line, around 1,300 kilometres long, is vital for trade.