By Zhao Yating
Over the past 50 years since China and The Gambia formally established diplomatic relations in 1974, their relationship has steadily progressed along the path of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.
They have achieved political mutual trust, economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges, bringing tangible benefits to both and providing an example of South-South cooperation for win-win results. Several factors have contributed to this progress.
First and foremost, China and The Gambia share similar cooperation concepts. They both respect each other’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and support each other on issues of major core concern.
For example, China supports The Gambia in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests and opposes external interference in the African nation’s internal affairs. The Gambia adheres to the one-China principle and supports China’s peaceful reunification efforts.
In addition, China-Gambia cooperation is guided by the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, based on the principle of “sincere friendship and equal treatment.” Both countries uphold the authority of the United Nations, support multilateralism, and are working together to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Down the years, their cooperation mechanism has been improved. They have maintained close high-level exchanges, especially after Gambian President Adama Barrow’s three state visits to China – in 2017, the year he assumed office, in 2018, and in September this year. Besides, there have also been special envoys’ visits, diplomatic consultations and legislative exchanges.
Bilateral relations have been upgraded based on the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summits and the Belt and Road Initiative. The Gambia appreciates the broad vision of China and Africa working together to promote modernisation and build a community with a shared future.
Last but not the least, the cooperation between China and The Gambia is comprehensive, ranging from major landmark projects to “small and beautiful” livelihood projects. Cooperation on the Belt and Road has brought tangible benefits to The Gambia, such as the China-Aid Road and Bridges project in The Gambia’s Upper Region and the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre.
China is also assisting in the Greater Banjul region power upgrading project, upgrading the aging power lines to meet The Gambia’s development needs. Beijing sent permanent medical teams and a short-term anti-epidemic medical team to The Gambia and has implemented technical assistance programs in agriculture. More than 280 Gambian students studied in China under Chinese government scholarships while over 1,900 Gambian officials and technicians received training in China. China has become The Gambia’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching US$520 million in 2023.
Today, the bilateral cooperation has expanded from traditional fields such as infrastructure and trade to emerging areas. China is assisting The Gambia in its energy strategy and has helped in the construction of 5G networks, photovoltaic power generation and energy storage.
In the context of the accelerated rise of the Global South, the development of the friendship is of significance. To consolidate the cooperation, China and The Gambia can carry out in-depth cooperation in various areas.
They can strengthen political mutual trust and promote their strategic alignment. The Gambia’s National Development Plan (2023-2027) can be aligned with the Belt and Road. Besides, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative proposed by China can accelerate Gambia’s national development priorities and promote China-Gambia strategic cooperative partnership.
There is also huge potential for economic cooperation and contributing to The Gambia’s modernisation process. The latter has announced the construction of a new special economic zone and three agricultural parks. It can benefit from China’s expertise in the field and in turn, the projects will provide a broad market for Chinese enterprises to invest in.
People-to-people exchanges constitute another key area. Promoting such exchanges and interactions is key to long-term development of bilateral relations. China and The Gambia can empower young talents, expand Chinese language teaching in The Gambia and disseminate the experience of the Chinese path to modernisation. Such efforts will deepen mutual understanding and ensure that the dividends of China-Gambia friendly cooperation benefit the people of both countries.
Zhao Yating is an assistant research fellow of the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
