By Makutu Manneh
President Adama Barrow has received the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to The Gambia, Xiao Yewen, at the State House in Banjul, reaffirming his government’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic relations and expanding cooperation between the two countries.
Ambassador Xiao formally presented his Letters of Credence to President Barrow, marking the official commencement of his diplomatic assignment in The Gambia.
According to a statement published on the State House’s official Facebook page, the new ambassador pledged to prioritize closer relations between the Gambian and Chinese people, expand bilateral cooperation, and build on the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
Ambassador Xiao also expressed his commitment to supporting The Gambia’s development priorities and exploring new opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
President Barrow welcomed the ambassador and highlighted what he described as significant progress in relations between Banjul and Beijing since 2017.
He emphasized that cooperation between the two countries extends beyond bilateral engagements and is further strengthened through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which provides a platform for advancing China’s partnerships with African nations.
The president reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to work closely with Ambassador Xiao to deepen diplomatic and economic relations. He also conveyed his goodwill to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Ambassador Xiao, in turn, expressed appreciation to President Barrow and the Gambian people for the warm reception and hospitality extended to him since his arrival.
“The Gambia and China have maintained a partnership based on mutual respect, solidarity, and cooperation, with joint work in infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, education, and human resource development contributing to socio-economic progress in both countries,” the State House stated.
China remains an important development partner for The Gambia, with cooperation spanning infrastructure development, healthcare, agriculture, education, and human resource capacity building.
The diplomatic engagement underscores both countries’ stated commitment to consolidating existing partnerships while identifying new areas of cooperation to advance their shared development objectives.
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