By Hassan Osman Kargbo
The Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone on August 20, 2026 hosted a Media Open Day that brought together representatives from more than 20 leading media institutions to strengthen understanding and people to people relations between China and Sierra Leone.
The event was attended by representatives from the Independent Media Commission, Sierra Leone Association of Journalists and Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, among other media organisations.
Welcoming participants, Third Secretary of the Chinese Embassy, Wu Yugiang, praised the growing cooperation between the governments and peoples of China and Sierra Leone. He described Sierra Leone as a country that has provided opportunities for development and cooperation for China and other parts of the world.
Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Zhao Yong, also addressed the gathering, highlighting the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
Ambassador Zhao said that in the 55 years since diplomatic relations were established, China and Sierra Leone have continued to respect and support each other, with cooperation expanding across several areas.
He encouraged Sierra Leonean journalists to become witnesses to the real China, communicators of friendship and defenders of the strong relationship between the two countries. He also urged the media to report more on successful cooperation and the growing connections between the two peoples.
The programme included the screening of a documentary on people to people exchanges marking the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Media representatives also shared experiences from their visits to China.
One of the major highlights was a presentation by journalist and academic Marius Musa Kargbo, who reflected on his personal journey from questioning China to gaining a deeper understanding of its people, language and culture.
Kargbo explained that his journey began in Freetown in 2017 after he published a controversial newspaper article titled “The Chinese Cosmetic Road.” The article attracted the attention of then Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng, leading to discussions and eventually an invitation for Kargbo to lead a Sierra Leonean delegation to the 2017 Youth Festival in Beijing and Xi’an.
“My experience in China did not begin at an airport. It began in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in 2017 with a pen,” Kargbo said.
He later pursued studies in China at Fujian Normal University and the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, describing the country as a classroom beyond the university.
Ambassador Zhao disclosed that bilateral trade between China and Sierra Leone reached US$2.3 billion in 2025, while trade increased by almost 38% during the first half of 2026.
He said discussions are also ongoing on increasing exports of Sierra Leonean palm oil, coffee and cocoa to China.
Kargbo urged Africans to approach China with curiosity, confidence and critical understanding, while adapting useful lessons from its development experience to African realities.
“Never allow distance to become a substitute for understanding,” he said.
