The Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His Excellency Wang Qing, has noted that the new lease agreement signed between Leone Rock Metal Group (LRMG) and the Government of Sierra Leone was a clear demonstration of a bright and promising Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation between China and Sierra Leone.
The ambassador was speaking at the commissioning of the expansion and rehabilitation of the Pepel Railway and Port project on Sunday, November 5.
Ambassador Wang recalled that while in China, certain developments took place, citing the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), which was successfully held in Beijing from 17th to 18th October 2023.
“The Forum coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with the theme “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity”. It was a conference of win-win outcomes that has further enriched Belt and Road cooperation. It was also a conference of development that has broadened the bright prospects of Belt and Road cooperation,” he said.
The ambassador also cited the new lease agreement for the management of the Pepel Railway and Port signed between Leone Rock Metal Group and Sierra Leone Government, which represents a practical cooperation for China-Sierra Leone bilateral relations.
“It is another important milestone of China- Sierra Leone cooperation in Mining and Infrastructure sector under the framework of BRI. This new lease agreement is a perfect metaphor as well as the natural consequence of China-Sierra Leone successful BRI cooperation.”
He recalled that, over the past 10 years, the Belt and Road cooperation has extended from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America.
“More than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents. The BRI has completed more than 3,000 co-operation projects, galvanized nearly USD 1 trillion of investment globally, lifted 40 million people out of poverty, and helped many developing countries accelerate their pace of modernization. This is a path of cooperation, opportunity and prosperity that leads to common development and has become the most popular international public good and largest international cooperation platform in today’s world,” he said.
He said in Sierra Leone, the Tonkolili Iron Ore Mine site managed by Leone Rock Metal Group is the largest and most successful project between the two countries and has effectively carried immense development.
“This project created millions of revenue and thousands of jobs, provided strong support for Sierra Leone economic and social development during the last several years, especially in the challenging time of Covid-19, Ukraine War and sluggish world economy. This agreement represents the recognition of Sierra Leone government to the hard work of LRMG and the willingness of two sides to continue this successful story. As Chinese Ambassador to SL, I am very pleased to see this agreement in place,” Ambassador Wang said.
He recalled that at the opening ceremony of the third BRF, President Xi Jinping pointed out that the modernization China pursues is not for the country alone, but for all developing countries through joint efforts.
He said President Xi announced eight major steps China will take to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, including setting up a financing window to support Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects on the basis of market and business operation.
“So, we can see the direction of BRI high quality cooperation in the future: focusing on development and improving local industrialization and modernization, stay committed on the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and carry out more market-oriented operations,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the capacity, willingness and the commitment of Leone Rock Metal Group to expand it operation in Sierra Leone and help develop the country’s economy.
“I know LRMG is deeply committed to expanding its investments in Sierra Leone, aiming to establish a strong presence in this prosperous land. They have devised a five-year plan that entails increasing the output to 20 million metric tons, upgrading the railway and port, and even constructing a steel plant within Sierra Leone. With this new lease agreement, I hold the firm belief that in the future the Tonkolili Iron Ore Mining Project will become a global leader, propelling industrialization and contributing significantly to Sierra Leone’s economic growth.”
The ambassador emphasized the need to be focused on achieving win-win and mutual goals by not paying heed to detractors.
“I noticed that after the signing of the lease agreement, there are some controversial debates in SL media and social media. According to the information I have, before signing of this new lease agreement, LRMG and the SL government had an in-depth, comprehensive and professional discussion and had done their best to resolve any issues that may arise, including the legal issues, how to extending the service to other mining sectors and agricultural projects. The Agreement means that they have found a perfect solution. I believe it benefit SL, benefit LRMG, and of course benefit China-SL relations. So today is an opportunity for our media friends and other persons who still have doubts on this Agreement to know more about this project. I hope you can have a more objective and true knowledge about this project. As the saying goes true gold fears no fire. I also firmly believe the time will tell eventually,” he cautioned.
He said Sierra Leone is an early member of the Belt and Road Initiative, and that “we hope our practical cooperation will achieve more fruitful results and inject new momentum to our bilateral relations.
He further recalled that after President Julius Maada Bio was re-elected, President Xi Jinping, in his congratulatory message, reiterated that he stands ready to work with President Bio to support each other and work in solidarity and coordination to promote the continuous development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Sierra Leone to better benefit the people.
“During the 78th UN General Assembly last month, His Excellency President Bio and Chinese Vice President H.E. Han Zheng had a very fruitful meeting in New York. Recently, many cabinet Ministers visited China or are going to visit China. The high-level exchanges have injected new impetus into China-Sierra Leone practical cooperation. China looks forward to working with Sierra Leone to synergize development strategies and strengthen win-win cooperation. I believe that with joint efforts from our two governments, our two peoples and the private sector such as Leone Rock, China-SL relations will have a bright future and bring greater benefits to the people on both sides.”