By: James Kamara-Manneh
Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone and Sino-Sierra Leone Alumni Association (SISLAA) on November 11, 2022, jointly held a symposium themed: Enlightenment and Opportunities of Chinese Modernization to Sierra Leone.
Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy Mr. Li Xiaoyong, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Dr. Theresa Tenneh Dick, SISLAA President Dr. Alphaeus Koroma, members of SISLAA and the media graced the event.
Mr. Li Xiaoyong pointed out that Chinese modernization is the socialist modernization led by the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), which not only has the common features of modernization of all countries but also has Chinese characteristics. Chinese modernization is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, the combination with material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony with nature, and peaceful development.
Mr. Li averred that the essential requirements of Chinese modernization are: upholding the leadership of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics, pursuing high-quality development, developing whole-process people’s democracy, enriching people’s cultural lives, achieving common prosperity for all, promoting harmony between humanity and nature, building a human community with a shared future, and creating a new form of human advancement.
Mr. Li furthered that China’s development path will provide a new option for the vast number of developing countries including Sierra Leone; China’s opening to the outside world will create new opportunities for African countries; China’s development will further boost China-Sierra Leone cooperation and improve the quality of life of the two peoples; China’s peaceful development will promote the steady and long-term development of China-Sierra Leone friendship.
Mr. recalled recently that President Xi Jinping delivered an important report at the opening session of the 20th National Congress of the Party. He pointed out that, from this day forward, the central task of the CPC will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.
Since then, Chinese modernization has become a buzzword in the global community and has also aroused widespread discussions among Sierra Leonean friends.
In his four points of China’s modernization, Mr. Li said China is engaging in the promotion of world peace and development. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, aggression and hegemony are not in the DNA of the Chinese people. The Chinese people have never bullied oppressed or enslaved the people of other countries. We haven’t done it in the past, we are not doing it now and we won’t do it in the future.
He added that the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative (GDI), and the Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by China have received positive responses from the international community, especially the vast number of developing countries.
“We sincerely call on all countries to promote the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom for all the peoples, foster mutual understanding among people of all countries, jointly tackle various global challenges, and pursue the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind”.
He affirmed that both China and Sierra Leone can learn from each other, and Sierra Leoneans can be inspired by the innovative practices of Chinese modernization and put the development of the nation based on its strength. We must firmly grasp the destiny of development and progress in our own hands and take the path of modernization that suits our national conditions.
China’s opening to the outside world will create new opportunities for African countries. China is both Africa’s and Sierra Leone’s largest trading partner, and a major source of foreign investment. In the future, we will focus on the new development pattern of dual circulation, continue to open up the country, boost trade, and encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leoneans are also welcome to fully tap the potential of China as a global market.
The program climaxed when the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Dr. Theresa Tenneh Dick, Dr. Alphaeus Koroma and members of SISLAA happily recalled their memory of studying in China and congratulated China on the successful convening of the 20th Congress of the CPC National Congress. They said that Sierra Leone can learn so much from Chinese Modernization, including pursuing modernization through a path that suits to one’s conditions, seeking common prosperity and eradicating poverty, developing based on one’s efforts and more international cooperation, etc. The participants vowed to play a more active role in promoting mutual understanding between Sierra Leone and China.
The symposium was chaired by the Honorary President of the AssociationDr. Ibrahim Seibure, and the Head of Political Affairs Mr. Hu both gave an overview of the organization and China-Sierra Leone student relationship in China.
