Shanghai Party chief meets president of Sierra Leone

Shanghai Party Secretary Li Qiang met Julius Maada Bio, president of Republic of Sierra Leone, last Monday.

Li welcomed Bio on behalf of the Shanghai Government, and he said China and Sierra Leone have been friends and have come through a lot of difficulties.

President Bio’s state visit and his attendance at the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and the successful meeting with President Xi Jinping will help usher in a new diplomatic era for Sierra Leone and China, further promoting the full-fledged development of the two countries’ strategic partnership.

As China’s biggest economic center, Shanghai is accelerating the process of building itself into an international economic, finance, trade, shipping, and technology and innovation center.

Despite the long distance, Shanghai and Sierra Leone have been strengthening the bi-lateral cooperation in recent years. The city is willing to implement the consensus reached by top leaders from both countries, increase the friendly exchanges, and deepen the cooperation with Sierra Leone, Li added.

Bio said Sierra Leone has always held the one China policy during its 47-year diplomatic relationship with China. The friendship between Sierra Leone and China has come through a lot of difficulties.

As a modern metropolis, Shanghai has an organized urban management system, innovations, and mature social and economic development, from which Sierra Leone can learn a lot.

Sierra Leone hopes to strengthen the cooperation in trade, education, and agriculture with Shanghai, Bio added.

Wu Peng, China’s ambassador to Sierra Leone; Zhuge Yujie, secretary-general of the CPC Shanghai Committee; and Xu Kunlin, vice mayor of Shanghai, also attended the meeting.