Ambassador Liu Jin bids farewell, leaves behind China’s remarkable support to Gambia

During an occasion marked by mixed feelings on Wednesday, the Chinese ambassador to The Gambia, H.E. Liu Jin, paid a visit to President Adama Barrow to bid him farewell, leaving behind China’s remarkable support to The Gambia since the restoration of bilaterals post-2016. 

The out-going Chinese envoy was warmly hosted by President Adama Barrow, with the presence of other high-level members of Cabinet. They included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Mr Sering Modou Njai, and Secretary of Cabinet, Mr Alieu Njie.

Ambassador Liu Jin conveyed the warm greetings of President Xi Jinping of China to President Adama Barrow, underscoring how the bilateral relations between The Gambia and China have been elevated to strategic partnership and political trust that has deepened.

He lauded the great strides achieved in cooperation across sectors, with China standing ready to work with The Gambia to explore new areas in the decade and further the bilateral friendship to new height.

Ambassador Liu expressed deep gratitude to The Gambia for its hospitality, pledging his continued support for development projects in the country.

For his part, President Barrow asked Ambassador Liu to relay his gratitude to President Xi Jinping and also his best wishes for the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Moreover, President Barrow expressed gratitude for China’s tremendous support to The Gambia’s development aspirations, assuring Gambia’s continued friendship and its firm support for China at the international arena. 

He reiterated that the Gambia will continue to partner with China to deepen bilateral cooperation across sectors, lauding the commendable work of Ambassador Liu during his tenure over the years.

China’s development support under President Barrow

China provides extensive financial, infrastructural, and medical support to The Gambia under President Adama Barrow, marking a decade of renewed diplomatic ties as detailed by the State House and other sources.

Major Development Projects

• International Conference Center: A $50 million grant project funded and built by China in Banjul as a major early cooperation agreement.
• Medical Equipment and Ambulances: A $1 million donation of medical supplies, ambulances, and gear to improve local healthcare access.
• Planned Power Plant: An upcoming energy infrastructure project backed by China to help fix electricity shortages in the country.

Key Areas of Cooperation

• Agriculture and Food: China supplies regular food aid to help vulnerable families and allows zero-tariff imports for Gambian groundnuts.
• Financial Grants: China has offered hundreds of millions of Yen for agreed local development projects and pledged to help build a State House hospital.
• Education: China provides hundreds of scholarships and training programs for young Gambians.

President Adama Barrow’s administration strongly supports the One-China Policy in return for this aid.

Source: The Point