Yang Jiechi meets with Sierra Leonean President Bio

China and Sierra Leone have pledge to continue to support each other and strengthen their bilateral relationship to ensure tangible benefits for the people of the two countries.

Yang Jiechi, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping, meets with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio in Freetown on Friday, September 6, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Gao Junya]

Yang Jiechi, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping met with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio On September 6 in Freetown. Yang is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee.

Yang Jiechi conveyed the cordial greetings of President Xi Jinping to Bio. Yang Jiechi said China and Sierra Leone are true friends and good partners who support and share weal and woe with each other.

Last year, President Xi Jinping met with President Bio where they set out the direction for the development of bilateral relations between the two countries. Yang said the Chinese side highly appreciates the strong support from Sierra Leone on issues of core interests and major concerns of China. He added China firmly supports Sierra Leone to take a path in line with its own national conditions. The Chinese side would like to exchange ideas on governance experience, and enhance mutual understanding, friendship and trust, according to Yang.

He further said China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Sierra Leone under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and effectively integrate the "Eight Major Initiatives" for China-Africa cooperation with the New Direction Strategy of Sierra Leone, and firmly promote cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries, medical and health care, education, training and other fields, so as to bring more tangible benefits to the people of the two countries.

"China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Sierra Leone on international and regional issues, firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations as its core, and safeguard the international order based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter" stated Yang.

Bio asked Yang Jiechi to convey cordial greetings to President Xi Jinping. Bio warmly congratulated China on its 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, highly appreciated the brilliant achievements made by China in economic and social development, and expressed heartfelt thanks to China for its constant support for Sierra Leone.

He said Sierra Leone supports the Belt and Road Initiative and the community for a shared future, both proposed by President Xi Jinping. "Sierra Leone is willing to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides, strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional affairs, and promote greater development of relations between Sierra Leone and China within the framework of the FOCAC", said Bio.

Yang also met with Sierra Leone's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nabeela Tunis.