China vows to boost ties in infrastructure, production capacity in Sierra Leone

Premier Li Keqiang meets with the visiting Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma on Friday in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

Premier Li Keqiang pledged on Friday to promote cooperation in infrastructure and production capacity with Sierra Leone while meeting with the West African country's President Ernest Bai Koroma.

Premier Li also said China is willing to boost cooperation in minerals, agriculture, fishery and product processing under market-oriented principles with the strategic partner.

Li added that China is willing to deepen political trust and strengthen pragmatic cooperation with the African partner to bring more welfare to both peoples.

When the Ebola epidemic began to hit West Africa, including Sierra Leone, in 2014, China immediately dispatched more than 1,200 medical staff and public health experts to help the region fight the disease, contributing to the efforts that helped overcome the epidemic, Li said at the 9th Global Conference on Health Promotion in Shanghai last month. In March, the World Health Organization announced the end of Ebola flare-ups in Sierra Leone.

Li said China will continue to cooperate with Sierra Leone in public health by dispatching medical professionals and helping train Sierra Leonean doctors and nurses.

Koroma, who was reelected the West African country's president in 2012, is now on his fourth official visit to China from Wednesday to next Tuesday since taking the first presidency nine years ago. He expressed his gratitude on Friday to China for the help in overcoming the epidemic and boosting its capacity of disease prevention and control.

Koroma also said his country will learn from China and strengthen cooperation in traditional fields such as infrastructure and explore new fields such as telecommunication, public health and tourism.