Wang Zhonglin, governor of Hubei Province, met with president of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio on March 2 in Hubei's capital city Wuhan.
Wang extended a warm welcome to Bio and his delegation on behalf of Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government. He said that China-Sierra Leone friendship enjoys a long history and this state visit to China will surely push for more fruitful results in bilateral cooperation.
Located in the central region of China and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Hubei is a major province of economy, science and education, ecology and agriculture. It boasts superior geographical location and transportation, abundant science and education resources, solid industrial foundation and sustained economic growth. Under the guidance of the China-Sierra Leone comprehensive strategic partnership, Hubei and Sierra Leone have maintained a sound momentum of cooperation and exchanges, with increasingly close economic and trade exchanges, deep and solid agricultural cooperation, as well as fruitful educational exchanges, he added.
He also expressed that Hubei will thoroughly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to deepen exchanges and cooperation in agriculture, science and education, medical care, economy and trade, and major infrastructure construction with Sierra Leone, so as to make greater contribution to a new chapter of China-Sierra Leone friendship.
Bio spoke highly of Hubei's economic and social development and fully affirmed the important role played by Hubei in promoting cooperation between Sierra Leone and China. He said that Sierra Leone and China are loyal friends and reliable partners. Hubei, as a large economic province in China, has broad prospects for cooperation with Sierra Leone.
He hoped to take this visit as an opportunity to deepen practical and effective cooperation in food planting and agricultural development, science, technology and education, medical and health care, mineral exploitation and utilization, infrastructure construction and other fields, so as to achieve win-win results, benefit the two peoples and bring bilateral friendly relations to a new level. (en.hubei.gov.cn by Ruan Xinqi)