Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday during talks with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, that Chinese enterprises are encouraged to invest in Sierra Leone.
China is willing to work with Sierra Leone to strengthen political mutual trust, promote pragmatic co-operation and enhance co-ordination in regional and international affairs, and assist in Sierra Leone’s development in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure construction and human resources Xi said.
The two sides should strengthen cooperation in UN Security Council affairs to safeguard jointly the interests of African and developing countries, the Chinese president added.
Referring to China-Africa ties, Xi reiterated that strengthening solidarity and cooperation with African countries has always been an important cornerstone of China’s foreign policy.
For his part, Bio described China as a trusted and loyal friend of Sierra Leone and said the two countries have always respected each other, treated each other as equals and shared a deep traditional friendship.
He said China’s experience inspires developing countries to accelerate their own development, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by Xi is conducive to the common interests of all mankind.
After the talks, Xi and Bio jointly signed a series of bilateral cooperation documents on BRI, agriculture, economic development and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative.
China’s engagement with African states is expected to gain even more traction in 2024, after COVID-19’s strict restrictions are lifted and its borders are opened to the world.
Since the beginning of 2023, China has established diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, Zambia, Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon, a continent whose natural resources have long attracted attention.
