By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay
232News
China Jiangsu-Sierra Leone Cooperation Conference held on the 28th February 2024 at the Bintumani hotel in Freetown has been described as a success story.
The conference attracted government ministers, mayors, tribal heads and the Chinese team among others.
The Sierra Leone Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Amb. Tamba Lamina said for too long Sierra Leone has been one of Africa’s best kept secrets – with only their mineral assets – such as iron ore, rutile, gold and now rare earth metals capturing international attention while in truth they have so much more to offer the world.
“From being home to the largest deep-sea port in Sub Saharan African and sitting at the heart of the 400 million strong ECOWAS consumer market – to having a young and fast-growing population of 8 million with over 5 million hectares of arable land, some of the richest fishing grounds in the world, extensive forests & mangroves that provide huge natural carbon sinks,” he said.
He went on to say, Sierra Leone has the assets, human, agricultural, ecological and mineral – necessary to drive the delivery of President’s Bio Big 5 Game Changer and the Sustainable Development Goals, but what will require now are the strategic partnerships that can help them turn these aspirations in reality.
“We are now looking to use these rich natural resources to transform the economy – leveraging investment in the mining sector to develop a new national infrastructure network based on a cross-country railway, major new ports, smart city and series of regional SEZs that will also open up our most productive agricultural regions to international investment and new global markets.”
He pointed out that, China has been a steadfast champion of South-South Cooperation and a constant friend of Sierra Leone over many years and we are proud to have been among the group of African countries who fought to have the Peoples Republic recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the Chinese people at the United Nations maintaining bilateral diplomatic relations between the two countries for over five decades.
The Chinese people have provided much more than just diplomatic cooperation and moral support – not only has Sierra Leone been the recipient of generous bilateral aid but China is today by far and away the country’s largest trade & investment partner.
He added that the visit of the Vice Governor and his colleagues provides an opportunity to further strengthen the bonds of friendship between the people of Sierra Leone and those of China – and to create a new strategic partnership with the Province of Jiangsu.
Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province, Fang Wei, recalled that since twenty-nine years ago, he set foot in Africa four times, visiting South Africa, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, and this time is Sierra Leone, as well as Congo (Brazzaville) and Morocco.
“…so my footsteps have covered all parts of the African continent, and I have a deep feeling that Africa today is already a continent of hope and a hot spot for investment, with unlimited potential for development,” he said.
He said the visit of the Jiangsu delegation to Sierra Leone is mainly to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen communication and exchange at the local level, and further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and seek common development.
Jiangsu is located on the east coast of China, in the Yangtze River Delta region, with a total area comparable to Sierra Leone and a population density more than ten times that of Sierra Leone.
It is a transportation hub with access to the river, the sea and the world, with complete highways, high-speed railroads, billion-ton ports and international airports, and a comprehensive transportation infrastructure system that has generally reached the world’s advanced level, bringing Jiangsu closer to the rest of the world in terms of time and space.
It is a large economic province with thriving industries and strong strength, with the total economic output ranking second among Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, equivalent to the 12th of the world economy (Mexico), and one of the provinces with the largest number of manufacturing categories, the most complete industrial chain, and the most complete supporting facilities in China.
It is a land of fish and rice, as known as a land of honey and milk, with watery charm and abundant produce, with the Yangtze River, canals and lakes nourishing 107,200 square kilometers of fertile land, and more than 85 million people being nourished by the unique conditions of agricultural production.
It is a hot spot of innovation with abundant talents and vitality, with 168 universities, more than 2.6 million college students, and the number of invention patents owned by 10,000 people and the intensity of R&D investment by the whole society are among the top.
As a front-runner in openness and win-win cooperation, Jiangsu has established 362 pairs of sister cities with 67 countries and regions, with total import and export amounting to 746.1 billion US dollars, the actual use of foreign investment amounting to 25.3 billion US dollars, and the enterprises that have gone out to more than 160 countries and regions.
He added that the cooperation between Jiangsu and African countries, including Sierra Leone, is deeply rooted and extensive. Guided by the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Africa, Jiangsu adheres to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith in our policy towards Africa. We are committed to implementing the “Nine Programs” and “Three Initiatives” of China-Africa cooperation, engaging in practical exchanges and collaborations in areas such as sister cities, economy and trade, and cultural exchanges.
“Together with friends from all sectors of Sierra Leone, we will deepen our communication and connection, draw our distances closer, build bridges of friendship, achieve more corporation successes, and collectively create a win-win and brighter future!”, he affirmed.
In his welcome remarks earlier, Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Freetown, Zhang Dianbin said China and Sierra Leone have achieved fruitful results in practical cooperation. The Chinese side supports Sierra Leonean people independently choosing a development path that suits Sierra Leone’s development aspirations.
He disclosed that, Jiangsu is a developed economic province in China with a solid industrial base, rich scientific and educational resources, excellent business environment, and huge market scale. In early 2015, two experts from Jiangsu came to Sierra Leone and helped the local people to fight against the spread of the Ebola epidemic. Jiangsu Hanjian Group has long been rooting in Sierra Leone market and benefiting local people, and has gained a good reputation.
Remarks were also made by, the Vice President of Jiangsu SOHO Holidays Group, Shi Xian Zhao and Jiangsu SUMEC Group Co. Ltd, Ding Yang Hui Qin. The conference climax with the signing of the minutes by Vice Governor Fang Wei and Minister Tamba Lamina and handover of National and Jiangsu Provincial Materials Lists.
