Through ChinaAid, the Embassy of People’s Republic of China has Tuesday 1st November 2022 officially handed over agricultural machinery among ultra-modern farm tools to the Government of Sierra Leone, as part of Chin’s relentless efforts in boosting agricultural productivity in the country, at a presentation ceremony held in Freetown.Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the machinery, Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, in Sierra Leone, Li Xiaoyong, described agriculture as an important area of cooperation between China and Sierra Leone.
“At the request of the Sierra Leonean side, China donated this batch of agricultural machinery to support Sierra Leone’s efforts in promoting sustainable agricultural development and eliminating hunger. His Excellency Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that the issue of food is a matter of national security and livelihood, and the string of food security cannot be relaxed at any moment. Over the past few decades, the Chinese people have relied on their own strength to keep the rice bowl firmly in their own hands, not only creating the miracle of using less than 9 percent of the world’s arable land to produce about a quarter of the world’s food and feed a fifth of the world’s population, but also helping other developing countries to improve their agricultural production capacity and contributing to global food security governance through various means,” he said.
Li thanked the Government of Sierra Leone for understanding and supporting China’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, reaffirming that; “China will continue to work with Sierra Leone to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the bilateral relations to a new level.
Receiving the gestures for and on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone, President Bio expressed gratitude to the Government of the PRC for their valuable support in building Sierra Leone’s food self-sufficiency capacity. He said the agricultural machinery will promote the modernization of agriculture and enhance Sierra Leone’s food production capacity, and praised China for its great achievements in economic and social development, and for its important role as a responsible power in international and regional affairs. President Bio said that Sierra Leone and China are good partners who trust each other, and since the establishment of the current government, mutual political trust between the two countries has been enhanced and practical cooperation has been fruitful. He promised that Sierra Leone will continue to deepen and strengthen ties with China so that both countries and peoples can enjoy more tangible results and benefits.
