On November 11, 2022, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone and Sino-Sierra Leone Alumni Association (SISLAA) jointly held a symposium themed: Enlightenment and Opportunities of Chinese Modernization to Sierra Leone. Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy Mr. Li Xiaoyong, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Dr. Theresa Tenneh Dick, SISLAA President Dr. Alphaeus Koroma, members of SISLAA and the media attended the event.
Mr. Li Xiaoyong pointed out that Chinese modernization is the socialist modernization led by the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), which not only has the common features of modernization of all countries but also has Chinese characteristics. Chinese modernization is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of the combination with material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony with nature, and of peaceful development.
Mr. Li averred that the essential requirements of Chinese modernization are: upholding the leadership of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics, pursuing high-quality development, developing whole-process people’s democracy, enriching people’s cultural lives, achieving common prosperity for all, promoting harmony between humanity and nature, building a human community with a shared future, and creating a new form of human advancement.
Mr. Li furthered that China’s development path will provide a new option for the vast number of developing countries including Sierra Leone; China’s opening to the outside world will create new opportunities for African countries; China’s development will further boost China-Sierra Leone cooperation and improve the quality of life of the two peoples; China’s peaceful development will promote the steady and long-term development of China-Sierra Leone friendship.
Dr. Theresa Tenneh Dick, Dr. Alphaeus Koroma and members of SISLAA happily recalled their memory of studying in China and congratulated China on the successful convening of the 20th Congress of the CPC National Congress. They said that Sierra Leone can learn so much from Chinese Modernization, including pursuing modernization through a path that suits to one’s own conditions, seeking common prosperity and eradicating poverty, developing based on one’s own efforts and more international cooperation, etc.. The participants vowed to play a more active role in promoting the mutual understanding between Sierra Leone and China
