Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao meets with visiting President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone in Beijing

On May 26, 2009, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with visiting President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone in Zhongnanhai.

During the meeting, Wen said China and Sierra Leone have offered mutual trust and assistance over the years and have established sincere friendship. Under the new situation, it is in the fundamental interest of both sides to strengthen cooperation and seek common development. China was ready to support economic construction of Sierra Leone through aid and preferential measures and enhance bilateral cooperation of mutual benefit in agriculture, infrastructure and resource exploration, so as to inject new vitality into the development of bilateral ties.

Amid the global downturn, Wen urged the international community to support less developed countries and never to waver in its resolve to fulfill the UN Millennium Development Goals. China was willing to cooperate closely with African countries to implement follow-up actions of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and work out new cooperation plans to cement the China-Africa new strategic partnership, he added.

Koroma said this visit demonstrated Sierra Leone's determination to enhance relations with the great China in an all-round manner. China's enormous achievements in its economic development stimulated the strong aspiration of people of African countries including Sierra Leone to strengthen cooperation with China and accelerate self-development. Sierra Leone maintains friendly relations with China and enjoys abundant mineral resources and sound environment for agricultural production, he said, adding that there is huge potential for cooperation between the two countries. Amid the current global financial crisis, Sierra Leone hopes to deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation with China, including cooperation on implementing the follow-up actions of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and lift bilateral ties to a new high. Koroma reaffirmed that Taiwan and Tibet are inalienable parts of China and his country will firmly adhere to the one-China policy.