Sierra Leone is a republic located in the Western part of the African continent. It is one of the poorest countries of Africa struggling to cope as it emerges after years of civil war. The country’s wealth lies in its store of minerals and diamonds.

Sierra Leone is yet another country that has managed to win Chinese support, and the leaders of the two countries are determined to push bilateral ties ahead as stated at the celebrations of the Africa Day in China recently. The two countries would see cooperation in the fields of health, education, culture and human resource development.

At a recent meeting between Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and the visiting Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma the Chinese premier reiterated his government’s commitment to continue supporting Sierra Leone with preferential treatment and aid for its economic reconstruction and enhanced bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture, further infrastructures development and resource exploration. Its rich natural resources were the key to Sierra Leone’s growth out of poverty and backwardness, as it would help in bringing in crucial foreign exchange through exports. President Koroma met the Chinese Premier during his visit to China for the celebration of the 26^th Africa Day. This is in line with the cooperation strategy to cement China-Africa ties.

The Africa nation rolled out its own first CDMA network with the assistance of the Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies. China will be building two hydropower dams in Sierra Leone in the next three years. Its exports of textiles, machinery, electrical goods and chemical products would continue. China in turn gets logs, coco beans and natural rubber from Sierra Leone.  Despite the global recession, China is neither going to reduce its aid or allow any break in its support for the country’s infrastructure development.

Since 1984 various projects have been initiated for developing trade between the two countries. The Fujian-Africa Fishing Company of China signed a contract with the Okeky Agent Company of Sierra Leone. Other projects include the construction of the National Stadium, civil housing, raids and bridges, offices and commercial complexes and teaching thee Africans the latest rice-cultivation techniques.

Source : Chinafrica