Madam Francess P. Alghali, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Sierra Leone, paid a courtesy visit to Miao Deyu, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.

The meeting reinforced the deep and longstanding bilateral relationship between the two nations.

Vice Minister Miao warmly welcomed Deputy Minister Alghali, describing her visit as an important boost to the friendly relations between Sierra Leone and China. He encouraged her to explore key innovation and development sites, including high-technology companies, industrial parks and the artificial intelligence sector of China, noting that such exposure would serve as a new driving source for Sierra Leone’s economic development.

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In her remarks, Deputy Minister Alghali reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s appreciation for China’s role as a major development partner. She highlighted the steady growth of bilateral relations, citing the successful visit of China’s Vice Premier to Sierra Leone last year as a testament to the strength of cooperation. She also acknowledged the positive impact of China’s zero percent tariff policy, which has significantly increased trade between the two countries. On the International stage, she also reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s support of the One China policy and commended the government of China’s support towards the ECOWAS Chairmanship of His Excellency Dr.Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

Deputy Minister Alghali further expressed gratitude for China’s continued support across critical sectors such as agriculture, health, infrastructure, and human capital development. She noted China’s swift intervention during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, with a new Ebola outbreak reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo; she requested China’s continued support to the World Health Organization to ensure preparedness and early response of countries to stop the spread of the virus.

Furthermore, Vice Minister Miao emphasized that China considers the people of Sierra Leone as “family,” underscoring the sincerity of the bilateral relationship, and assured that China will provide maximum support to ensure the success of the upcoming ECOWAS Summit in Freetown.

He applauded Sierra Leone’s role as chair of the C10 on reform of the United Nations Security Council.

Furthermore, he commended the Government of Sierra Leone for its flagship Feed Salone initiative, describing it as a mission of great national importance, and that China is committed to providing a new round of food assistance to the people of Sierra Leone.

He pledged to follow up with relevant Chinese authorities to explore avenues of support towards the following government initiatives: the Aqua Summit, the Industrial Fishing Port, the Solar Project, and the National Stadium.

Finally, Vice Minister Miao also informed that the Government of China will provide more short-term professional training programs for Sierra Leonean diplomats and parliamentarians aimed at strengthening capacity and enhancing diplomatic cooperation.