By: James Kamara-Manneh
The Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone yesterday held their 4th Session of Face to Face with China together with members from the fourth Estate and other dignitaries on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that will be of benefit to African-Sierra Leone in particular.
The BRI is the latest development of China’s contribution to global governance and the most important is the 3rd Belt and Road for International Cooperation.
Before delving into the BRI proper, three broader aspects of the initiative; China-Africa Leaders Dialogue, White Paper: A global community of shared future: China’s proposals and Actions, and the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation were succinctly dealt with.
Speaking on behalf of the Embassy, the Charge d’affaires who also doubles as the deputy Chinese Ambassador Li Xiaoyong shared the importance of the initiative and benefits it will bring to the world.
He said over a thousand years ago their ancestors set sail and braved the waves to open a maritime Silk Road linking the East and the West, beginning a new phase of closer communication among peoples, after had travelled across grasslands and deserts to create a land Silk Road connecting Asia, Europe and Africa, leading the world into an era of extensive cultural exchanges. Later, the United Nations and some countries began to envisage the Eurasian Land Bridge, the Silk Road Initiative, and other plans, reflecting a common wish to engage in communication and cooperation.
The deputy ambassador said the initiative emanated from President Xi Jinping who proposed the vision of a global community of shared future; in September and October 2013. He further raised the initiatives of joining with others to build a Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI).
The Belt and Road Initiative is a creative development that takes on and carries forward the spirit of the ancient silk routes – two of the great achievements in human history and civilization. It enriches the ancient spirit with the zeitgeist and culture of the new era, and provides a platform for building a global community of shared future.
He continued that BRI is a path to peace. Peace is a prerequisite for development, while development serves as the foundation for peace. The BRI goes beyond the law of the jungle and the hegemonic order based on power struggles. It rejects zero-sum thinking and discards the Cold War mentality of ideological rivalry and geopolitical competition. Instead, it paves the way for peaceful development, and aims to offer a fundamental approach to lasting peace and universal security.
Next, BRI is a path to prosperity. The BRI is committed to building a prosperous future that diverges from the exploitative colonialism of the past, avoids coercive and one-sided transactions, rejects the center-periphery model of dependency, and refuses to displace crisis onto others or exploit neighbors for self-interest. Instead, it aims to achieve win-win outcomes and shared development and prosperity. This collaborative effort aims to foster new centers and impetus for global economic growth, drive inclusive growth, and bring global development into a balanced, coordinated and inclusive new stage.
He said the BRI is a path to openness meaning it represents an open and inclusive collaborative process that transcends national borders, ideological differences, developmental disparities, social system variations, and geopolitical conflicts. The BRI facilitates the orderly flow of production factors, the efficient allocation of resources, deep integration of markets, and liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and ensures the stable performance and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains. It aims to build an economic globalization that is open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to all.
The Charge d’affaires also states that BRI is a path to innovation. Innovation serves as a critical driving force for progress. The BRI is dedicated to innovation-led development, harnessing the opportunities presented by digital, internet-based and smart development. It explores new business forms, technologies and models, seeking out fresh sources of growth and innovative development pathways to propel transformative advancements for all involved
The BRI is a path to social progress. The BRI champions equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations. It upholds the shared values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom. It transcends barriers between cultures through exchanges, resolves conflicts through mutual understanding, and rejects superiority while promoting coexistence.
“As an initiative towards progress, cooperation and inclusiveness, the BRI pursues development, promotes win-win outcomes, and inspires hope. It aims to deepen understanding and trust, strengthen comprehensive exchanges, and ultimately achieve common development and shared prosperity,” he said.
He concluded that China stands ready to work with other countries including Sierra Leone to pursue closer and more fruitful cooperation under the BRI framework, implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.
“Our goals are to pass on the torch of peace from generation to generation, sustain development, ensure that civilizations flourish, and build a global community of shared future”.
Speaking on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone, Emmanuel Billy Konjoh, Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industry said the ministry is extremely pleased and cherish the long-standing bilateral relationship of both countries on different developmental aspects. He China stands out as the country top import and export trading partners.
Konjoh said the BRI initiative seeks to further expands, solidify and create equal trade opportunities with a win-win result for all.
“The inclusivity, connectivity, speed and efficiency that the BRI presents will only make for an effective multilateral trading system that gives everyone fair opportunity to be competitive”.
He said China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has help bankroll a boom in Africa infrastructure, allowing credit-starved countries to build railway, hydropower projects, roads, airport and communications. He said the initiative also led to a siege in Chinese investment in areas such as; mining and agriculture.
Konjoh said Sierra Leone has benefited enormously from the China in terms of infrastructural development, mining, education and many more, and that the bilateral trade volume has reached over 500 million USD and the accumulated direct investment from China to Sierra Leone has reached 4 billion USD. He said the relationship formed between Sierra Leone and China is a microcosm of the relationship at large between China and Africa as a whole.
He said the Sierra Leone’s government will continue to work with China to improve on inclusivity of trade and on the framework of the One Belt One Road Initiative.
The session ended with interactive questions from members of the media and other attendees.
