Sierra Leone President Julius Mada Bio pays state visit to China
Strengthening cooperation with West Africa, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s first visit this year
Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting with the leader of the African country Sierra Leone, who visited China, on the 28th and promised to strengthen cooperation. While continuing active relations with Africa, there is an atmosphere of increasing contact points with West African countries.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 29th, President Xi held a summit meeting with President Julius Mada Bio, who was on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing the day before.
“China hopes to consolidate a high level of political mutual trust with Sierra Leone and promote mutually beneficial cooperation,” President Xi said. “I look forward to raising China-Sierra Leone relations to a new level.”
He also promised to support Chinese companies’ investment in Serbia, saying, “We firmly support the Sierra Leonean people in following a development path that suits the country’s conditions.”
President Xi also expressed his intention to support African industrialization initiatives and agricultural modernization plans, saying, “China and the African people share a shared destiny.”
President Bio responded by saying, “President Xi’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative has had a far-reaching impact in promoting the common interests of all mankind,” and that “Sierra Leone adheres to the ‘One China’ principle,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded. reported.
At the meeting on this day, the two countries agreed to deepen their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and expand trade and investment cooperation in agriculture, mining, fishing, and infrastructure construction. The two countries also decided to strengthen cooperation in the security field, including military and police exchanges.
China, which has been strengthening cooperation with African countries, is continuing diplomacy with Africa this year. President Xi also recently exchanged congratulatory messages with Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso on the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and sent Vice Chairman of the National People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Zhang Juojun as a special envoy to the funeral of Namibian President Hage Geingob.
Last month, the custom of selecting an African country as the first visit of the year for a diplomatic chief continued for the 34th year. Wang Yi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Political Bureau and Minister of Foreign Affairs, began his overseas tour this year by visiting four African countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire.
In particular, in the case of West Africa, the United States’ checks are strengthening as Gabon is known to have promised to build a military base in China. Togo and Côte d’Ivoire were among West African countries that Director Wang visited for the first time this year. Then, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken embarked on a tour of four West African countries, including Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Angola.
Sierra Leone, where President Xi held the summit this time, is also a country located in West Africa.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.