Current location:entertainment >>
Sierra Leonean president's China visit to enhance cooperation, friendship
entertainment36918People have gathered around
IntroductionPresident of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio started a state visit to China from Febru ...
President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio started a state visit to China from February 27 (Tuesday) till March 2, during which he is scheduled to meet with Chinese leaders and to further promote cooperation in various fields and friendship.
Analysts believe that President Bio's visit, the first by an African country's head of state in 2024, may also be part of efforts to boost China-Africa cooperation, as Chinese and Sierra Leonean leaders may further exchange views on the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) gathering scheduled to be held in the second half of 2024 in Beijing.
President Bio arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, with Chinese vice foreign minister Deng Li greeting him at the airport, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that President Xi Jinping will hold a welcome ceremony and banquet for President Bio, and that the two heads of state will hold talks.
Mao noted that China and Sierra Leone enjoy a traditional friendship. She said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than half a century ago, the two sides have firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, carried out efficient cooperation in the field of economic and social development, and maintained close coordination on international affairs.
"In particular, our two peoples have forged a deep friendship by joining hands to fight against Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic," Mao said.
It is believed that this visit will inject new impetus into the comprehensive and in-depth development of China-Sierra Leone ties, and push for more achievements in the friendly cooperation between the two countries, Mao noted.
With this visit, Bio becomes the last foreign head of state to visit China before the 2024 annual two sessions, analysts said.
Inviting President Bio to visit China ahead of a special event demonstrates the profound friendship between the two countries, and also highlights the political mutual trust between China and Africa, He Wenping, a director with the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Given that African countries including Zambia and Ethiopia have upgraded diplomatic relations with China in 2023, He noted that it cannot be ruled out that China and Sierra Leone will further enhance political mutual trust by upgrading bilateral relations.
In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency ahead of Bio's state visit, Sierra Leonean Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor Bah hailed the two countries' friendship as "one of Sierra Leone's most important relationships," which "has delivered tangible results across multiple areas."
Bah thanked China for assisting Sierra Leone's infrastructure needs by constructing roads, bridges and major buildings. The minister also extolled the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and other initiatives China has championed, which he said will benefit the Global South and beyond.
In recent years, China has supported Sierra Leone in various areas such as infrastructure construction, fishing cooperation and education, as well as public health, according to Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University.
China is also Sierra Leone's largest trading partner, and Chinese companies have also increased their cooperation with Sierra Leone in the mining and steel industries in recent years, Song noted.
Under the frameworks of BRI and FOCAC, the two sides are likely to further strengthen cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, education, people-to-people exchanges, and China can also offer assistance in trending areas such as digital economy, cross-border e-commerce, 5G networks, and new-energy vehicles, He said.
"The FOCAC is a large-scale cooperation platform for China and African countries to jointly synergize their development plans… Chinese and Sierra Leonean leaders are also expected to discuss the FOCAC issues and China-Africa practical cooperation around it," said Song.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“International Intervals news portal”。http://martinique.shellye-mcdaniel.com/html-55c299852.html
Related articles
Strictly star Giovanni Pernice's former partner Rose Ayling
entertainmentGiovanni Pernice has been dealt a fresh blow after friend and former Strictly dance partner Rose Ayl ...
Read moreNFL's first medical summit brought teams together to collaborate on improving player safety
entertainmentORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The NFL has implemented new rules, banned another type of tackle and introduced ...
Read moreChina expects over 750 mln inter
entertainmentChina reported a significant surge in anticipated inter-regional trips during the three-day Qingming ...
Read more
Popular articles
- Jessica Biel CHOPS her long locks into a bob after book signing in Studio City
- Hong Kong marks key education day on safeguarding national security
- Chicago White Sox activate slugger Eloy Jiménez from the 10
- Giants quarterback Daniel Jones hopes to be ready for the start of training camp
- Nadal returns to Roland Garros to practice amid doubts over fitness and form
- 2 killed in vessel collision in waters off east China
Latest articles
Siblings trying to make US water polo teams for Paris Olympics
Two bodies are found in hunt for Kansas moms who disappeared two weeks ago
Maine is the latest to join an interstate compact to elect the president by popular vote
Asbestos victim's dying words aired in wrongful death case against Buffet's railroad
Not so Cool Britannia! Noel Gallagher gives damning verdict on Keir Starmer
Marlins' Jake Burger placed on injured list with left intercostal muscle strain
LINKS
- NASA hears from Voyager 1, after months of quiet
- Pitchers Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly put on injured list by Chicago Cubs
- Billie Piper claims her Sky drama I Hate Suzie 'didn't get a big enough audience'
- Russia voices dissatisfaction over Security Council inaction on Nord Stream sabotage
- Six winners of the Mail's Inspirational Women Awards are honoured in glittering ceremony in London
- Yobs armed with catapults terrorise a quiet Surrey village
- Philippines, U.S. kick off largest
- New Mexico reaches settlement in 2017 wage
- De La Cruz powers Reds to 8
- Family pay tribute to 'incredible mother and cherished daughter' who was found dead at luxury five