By Talibeh Hydara
Vice President Mohammed BS Jallow has praised the impact of China on various sectors of The Gambia’s development.
Speaking on Wednesday evening at a reception marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, VP Jalllow said the foundation has now been laid for future strategic cooperation eight years after the resumption of diplomatic ties.
“Since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and The Gambia, our partnership has flourished, grounded in mutual respect, shared interests, and a common vision for progress. China has been an unwavering ally in our development journey, providing critical support across various sectors. As we celebrate China’s 75th anniversary, we also celebrate the bonds of friendship and cooperation that have brought immense benefits to The Gambia,” he said.
VP Jallow emphasized the significant contributions of China in The Gambia’s infrastructure development, health, education, agriculture, and economic cooperation, with investments in the energy sector as well.
“As we reflect on the immense contributions that China has made to The Gambia’s socio-economic development, we remain committed to the one China principle. The foundation for future optimism, has been laid through our strategic partnership for even greater cooperation in the years to come. The recently concluded China-Africa Summit is a testament to our partnership for mutual benefits. Together, we will continue to work towards shared goals such as poverty eradication, sustainable development, and peace building.
The Gambia remains committed to deepening its partnership with China, particularly in emerging areas such as green energy, disaster risk management, digital infrastructure, and innovation. Through continued collaboration, we can address the challenges of our time and build a prosperous future for both our nations,” he said.
He added: “On this auspicious occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Chinese government and its people. We express our profound gratitude for their unwavering support and partnership in our development journey. Together, we will continue to forge a path toward greater socio-economic development, peace, and prosperity for our people.”
The Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Banjul, H.E Zhou Ningyu, spoke at length about the historic relations between The Gambia and China which was first established in 1974.
He said during the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit, the two presidents announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, “highly praised the achievements of bilateral relations, and exchanged in-depth views on future cooperation, providing direction for development of bilateral relations and cooperation in various areas.”
“On the journey to achieve modernization, China and The Gambia are sincere friends and true partners sharing the path forward.
At the beginning of this year, H.E. President Adama Barrow emphasized that 2024 is a year of delivery. During his meeting with President Xi, he stated that China has always been action-oriented and always acts on its words.
President Barrow reaffirmed that The Gambia firmly adheres to the one-China policy.
Looking to the future, we will uphold the spirit of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and pursuing the greater good and shared interests, work closely with The Gambian friends, to follow the strategic guidance of the two leaders, enrich the substance of strategic partnership, implement the ‘Ten Partnership Actions’, and further expand cooperation in areas of infrastructure, agriculture, health, trade, investment, education, and cultural exchanges, thereby contributing to The Gambia’s national development and the livelihoods of our two countries.
Let us roll up sleeves, translate blueprint into concrete actions, and make joint efforts towards the bright future of peace, development and prosperity,” he added.
The Chargé d’affaires also announced that the embassy is working to establish consular visa services to further facilitate exchanges between the two peoples.
At least 2,000 Gambians have visited China in the past eight years.
