Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio arrived in China on Tuesday to kick off a five-day visit that will culminate in Beijing with a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Bio is also scheduled to meet with Premier Li Qiang and China’s top legislator, Zhao Leji, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
The President’s arrival in China comes at a critical time for Africa-China relations as policymakers from both sides are ramping up negotiations ahead of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation gathering that will likely take place sometime towards the end of the year.
Bio will also likely discuss a $1.5 billion bridge deal that his government signed last December with the China Road and Bridge Corporation to connect the capital, Freetown, with the airport hub of Lungi, eight kilometers away.
The feasibility study is scheduled to be finished soon, with construction slated to begin before the end of the year.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Bio is one of the first African heads of state to visit China in 2024 and one of the few to meet with Xi Jinping in recent months. This is rather important because there’s growing insecurity among some Chinese stakeholders that the U.S. has gained the advantage in terms of high-level engagement with African leaders over the past year.
Xi will probably use his meetings with Bio and other African dignitaries this year to reassure the continent that Africa remains important to China.
SUGGESGTED READING:
- Xinhua: Sierra Leonean president to visit China
- The China-Global South Project: The Chinese on the Lion Mountain: Peering Into China’s Evolving Diaspora and Soft Power in Sierra Leone by Susan Su
