On the morning of September 4, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, who is in China for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Noting that FOCAC features extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits by the Chinese and African people, Xi Jinping pointed out that the FOCAC has not only become an effective mechanism for promoting practical cooperation between China and Africa, but also a banner for South-South cooperation. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has made systematic arrangements for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, which will bring more opportunities to countries in the world, including African countries. He expressed the belief that with the joint efforts of both sides, the summit will make new contributions to advancing the modernization of African countries and the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future.
Xi Jinping stressed that China and Sierra Leone should continue to stand firmly together on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns. China is ready to carry out exchanges of experience with Sierra Leone on state governance, strengthen the synergy of development strategies, deepen cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, resources, energy and other areas, and implement economic and livelihood projects to continuously improve people's well-being. China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Sierra Leone under the United Nations and other multilateral frameworks, promote unity and cooperation among countries in the Global South, advocate an equal and orderly multi-polar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and jointly safeguard the interests of Africa and other developing countries.
Julius Maada Bio thanked the Chinese side for its warm hospitality that made the Sierra Leone delegation feel at home and looked forward to the complete success of the FOCAC Beijing Summit. He said, the Sierra Leone-China relationship has witnessed sound development and bilateral cooperation has made remarkable progress since his last visit to China. He thanked China for its support for Sierra Leone's economic development and hoped to further strengthen cooperation in agriculture, security and other fields. President Xi Jinping has put forward a series of major global initiatives, making important contributions to promoting world peace and development and demonstrating his outstanding leadership, which Sierra Leone highly appreciates. He thanked China for supporting Sierra Leone in fulfilling its duties as the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council and is ready to strengthen international multilateral coordination with China. Sierra Leone firmly pursues the one-China policy and is ready to be a trustworthy friend of China.
Wang Yi was present at the meeting.
