Trade Minister Bayoku Conteh & Amb Wu Peng

His Excellency the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Wu Peng met with Minister of Trade and Industry, Peter Bayuku Konteh in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital. The two personalities discussed issues bothering on deepening China-Sierra Leone economic and trade cooperation.

Ambassador Wu said that in recent years, China-Sierra Leone trade and economic relation had been flourishing and a large number of Sierra Leonean businessmen had visited China to explore business opportunities.

Trade exchanges between the two have always followed the basic principles of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, advancing the wellbeing of people of both countries. The Chinese Embassy, Ambassador Wu said would continue to deepen cooperation with Sierra Leone’s Trade Ministry and boost exchanges in areas such as human resources and capacity building so as to provide better service for companies in both countries.

Ambassador Wu also invited Minister Konteh to attend the first China Import Expo to be held this year. He disclosed that the Chinese government had already offered preferential policies such as tariff reduction or duty exemption for Sierra Leone exporters as a way to encourage Sierra Leonean commodities exported to China.

Minister Konteh in his response thanked the People’s Republic of China for its long time assistance to Sierra Leone in various fields and said that the Ministry of Trade and Industry is ready to work closely with China under the New Direction policy of the current government of Sierra Leone to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation, which would enrich the content of the strategic partnership of comprehensive cooperation between the two countries and benefit both people. He thanked Ambassador Wu for inviting him to attend the China Import Expo and stated that Sierra Leone was sure that China’s door would always be opened to the country. He said the Sierra Leonean side would also provide more favorable conditions for Chinese investors.