By Fatou Sillah
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Gambia marks the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China with a reception held at a Bijilo hotel.
On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This ended the costly civil war between the CCP and the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, or KMT), which had begun after World War II and was preceded by sporadic conflict between the two sides since the 1920s.
The creation of the PRC also marked the end of a long period of political upheaval in China that began with the Chinese Revolution of 1911.
In a speech at the reception held in Bijilo, the Chinese Ambassador to The Gambia, Liu Jin, said that over the past 74 years, China has achieved extraordinary development thanks to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the hard work and solidarity of the Chinese people.
“Over the past 74 years, the People’s Republic of China has gone through an extraordinary course of development and progress and has made remarkable achievements. We attribute these achievements to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the advantages of the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the diligence and solidarity of the Chinese people, and the support and assistance of the international community. We are proud of our achievements,” The Ambassador said.
The Ambassador further speaks on the Friendship between the People’s Republic of China and the Gambia.
“China and The Gambia are good friends and partners. We respect each other, understand each other, support each other, help each other, and appreciate each other. The Chinese Government highly values the China-Gambia friendship and attaches great importance to its relations with The Gambia. Since the resumption of diplomatic relations between our two countries, political mutual trust has been deepening, practical cooperation has been fruitful, and people-to-people exchanges have been expanding.
“In the field of infrastructure, China-aid URR Roads and Bridges and the Jawara International Conference Center are not only the fruits of cooperation but also solid symbols of friendship. In particular, the ICC has become the preferred venue for The Gambia to hold major events, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish The Gambia a successful hosting of the OIC Summit this December. Now, we are working with our Gambian colleagues to push forward the Greater Banjul Area Electricity Improvement Project,” He stated.
Ebrima Sillah, the Minister of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians abroad, says that despite the current global economic challenges and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the China-Gambia relationship has grown stronger and deepened.
“The People’s Republic of China has become The Gambia’s leading partner in infrastructure development as seen in the completed flagship projects of roads and Bridges in the Upper River Region of the country as well as the international conference center where the Gambia will be hosting the 15th summit of the Heads of States and Government of the organization of the Islamic Cooperation.
“The Gambia-China Cooperation has always been in the spotlight with China-funded projects in areas as agriculture, infrastructure, Capacity Building, and most importantly the Energy sector particularly the greater Banjul transmission and distribution project of NAWEC,” the Minister stated.