Samuel Kallon 
By Sheku Sackoh Turay
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China continues its regular interface with the media at the Chinese embassy on Thursday 15th July, 2024.
The essence of the face- to-face with China is to inform the local media about its bilateral relationship with Sierra Leone and its development activities in the country.
His Excellency, Ambassador Wang Qing in his presentation, said he would focus on two events which have great significance to China, the China-Africa relations and China-Sierra Leone relations.
According to Ambassador Wang Qing, he stated that, H.E. President Bio was invited to pay a state visit to China this February, 2024.
During the visit, the two heads of states had an in-depth exchange of views and reached extensive and important consensus on China-Sierra Leone relations, China-Africa relations and international and regional issues of common interests.
The two Heads of States also signed the bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative as well as China-Sierra Leone Joint Statement on Deepening Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, which draw a grand blueprint for China-Sierra Leone practical cooperation.
He said after the visit there will be a strengthening of practical collaboration between China and Sierra Leone. He assured that there are now tangible development in many sectors in the country, Sierra Leone.
“To the Feed Salone initiative; the two leaders have agreed to make agriculture one of the highlight of our practical cooperation during the state visit in February. We are now in discussion to help the STRATEGIC PILLARS of Feed Salone. “For the Mechanization and Irrigation, we will help build two agricultural hub projects.” “For the Seeds and Inputs System, the maize planting demonstration project of 14th China-Aided Agricultural Technology Experts Team have achieved a bumper harvest, with a yield of 6 to 8 tons per hectare, which greatly improves the planting yield and profit of farmers.”
“We are also about to plant the perennial rice here in Sierra Leone,” Ambassador Wang stated.
He also mentioned the area of the Human Capital Development which is one of the key pillars in the Big Five Game Changers.
He said the Chinese government had provided 200 scholarships and more than 500 short term training opportunities to Sierra Leone this year.
In the area of employment, he emphasised that during the Job Fair program which was held this year in Freetown, Chinese Enterprises in Sierra Leone successfully provided more than 2,000 job opportunities for Sierra Leonean citizens and effectively contributing to the growth of local employment.
Ambassador Wang, disclosed that, in the joint statement released in the state visit, the two sides reiterated their firm support for each other in independently choosing a development path that suits their national realities, and will further strengthen exchanges and mutual learning on governance.
They said they also held a lot of seminars which aim to enhance experience sharing and cooperation on governance.
The Chinese government deems Africa as its major partners in terms of enhancing global development, he said.
He concluded by clarifying that, China-Africa business cooperation has led to new progress.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for the last 15 years since 2009.
The proportion of Africa’s trade with China in the continent’s total external trade has continued to rise.
In 2023, the figure was US$282 Billion and exceeded 21.5 percent of African total external trade.
The structure of China-Africa trade is improving.
China has increased its imports of non-resource products from Africa, and offered zero-tariff treatment to 98 percent of taxable items exported to China by Africa countries, with the goal of helping more African agricultural and manufactured goods gain access to the Chinese market.
