Carrying forward traditional friendship for a shared future——Farewell Message by H.E. Wang Qing, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone

November 27, 2025 232News

In January 2023, I arrived in beautiful Sierra Leone to assume my duties as Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone. Time flies and now I am about to bid farewell to my Sierra Leonean friends.

Over the past three years, I have had the privilege of witnessing Sierra Leone’s steady progress along the path of peace and development, and of seeing that China-Sierra Leone relations maintain excellent performance and become a good example of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation.

H.E. President Xi Jinping and his wife Dr. Peng Liyuan held a welcoming ceremony for H.E. President Julius Maada Bio and his wife Fatima Maada Bio in the Great Hall of the People during President Bio’s state visit to China.

Over the past three years, the two countries have close high-level interaction. In 2024, H.E. President Julius Maada Bio paid a state visit to China and attended the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, becoming the first head of state in Sierra Leone’s history to visit China twice in a single year. The two leaders reached broad and important consensus on deepening the China-Sierra Leone Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, providing strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations.

Political mutual trust between the two sides continues to deepen. China firmly supports Sierra Leone in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, security, and development interests, and resolutely opposes external interference in Sierra Leone’s internal affairs. Sierra Leone has repeatedly reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the One-China principle and its strong support for all efforts made by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification.

***Ambassador Wang Qing and Hon. Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba and Former Foreign Minister Prof. David J. Francis at the launching ceremony of a China-Sierra Leone Friendship book.***

The practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results. Just the third day after my arrival in Sierra Leone, I attended the handover ceremony for the China-Aided Sierra Leone Foreign Service Academy. Before my departure, I attended another groundbreaking ceremony for the China-Aided fishing port, where I was delighted to see it named the Julius Maada Bio Industrial Fishing Port. China has been Sierra Leone’s largest trading partner and largest source of foreign investment for many years. These vividly demonstrate the rich substance and efficient progress of our practical cooperation.

**Ambassador Wang Qing accompanied H.E. President Julius Maada Bio as they cut the ribbon for the China-Aided Sierra Leone Foreign Service Academy.**

The two sides coordinated closely on such issues as world peace and development. China firmly supports Sierra Leone in fulfilling its responsibilities within international and regional organizations such as the United Nations Security Council, C-10, and ECOWAS. We support Sierra Leone’s efforts to redress historical injustices against Africa, and stand together with Sierra Leone in upholding genuine multilateralism. We will jointly promote solidarity and cooperation among Global South, safeguard the interests of developing countries, and uphold international fairness and justice.

**Ambassador Wang Qing accompanied Hon. Vice President Juldeh Jalloh as they jointly inspected China-Aided Sierra Leone National Stadium Rehabilitation Project.**

People-to-people exchanges between our two countries have become increasingly vibrant. Over the past three years, nearly 20,000 Sierra Leonean citizens have obtained visas to travel to China for tourism, business, and visits—a historic high. The Chinese government has consistently supported Sierra Leone’s human resource development, with over 500 Sierra Leoneans receiving Chinese government scholarships to pursue academic studies in China. More than 2,500 Sierra Leoneans from various sectors have benefited from participating in diverse China-Aided training programs. I have traveled across all five provinces of Sierra Leone and was honored with the title of Honorary Paramount Chief by the Bambara Chiefdom, forging deep friendships with the people of Sierra Leone.

**Ambassador Wang Qing and the Sierra Leonean awardees of 2024 Chinese Ambassador Scholarship and Grant.**

Over the past three years, I have fully experienced Sierra Leone’s tropical charm and picturesque landscapes, its diverse and inclusive culture, and the warmth and friendliness of its people. I am particularly impressed by the resilience and vitality Sierra Leone has demonstrated on its development journey. A nation once scarred by years of civil war now ranks second in West Africa, fifth in Africa, and 57th globally in peace indices. It has also assumed the role of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, playing a vital part in safeguarding global peace. A nation once devastated by the Ebola outbreak has now rebuilt its health security infrastructure. Now it not only can swiftly respond to epidemics like M-pox, but also actively dispatched personnels to assist other countries in combating infectious diseases, demonstrating its leadership in Africa’s health sector. I am confident that through the joint efforts of the Government and people of Sierra Leone, the country will surely embrace an more prosperous and promising tomorrow.

**Ambassador Wang Qing was honored with the title of Honorary Paramount Chief by the Bambara Chiefdom.**

There is an ancient Chinese poem that says, “True friendship knows no distance; even across ten thousand miles, we remain neighbors.” I will forever cherish the white sand beach of Freetown, the coconut palms of Banana Island, the vast rice fields of Bo, the majestic mountains of Tonkolili, and all the friends I made in Sierra Leone alongside its gracious people. I sincerely wish that China-Sierra Leone friendship can last forever and both nations have a brighter future!