Representatives from Henan Agricultural Investment Group discuss agricultural cooperation with Sierra Leonean president

Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio (left) and Henan Agricultural Investment Group Co. Ltd. Chairman Li Xiaohuan (Photo courtesy of Henan Agricultural Investment Group Co. Ltd.)

On Sept. 3, Li Xiaohuan, chairman of China’s Henan Agricultural Investment Group Co. Ltd., an enterprise that engages in modern agricultural business and provides financial and insurance services among other pursuits, and Zhang Shujie, general manager and vice chairman of the company, visited Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone, in Beijing in order to discuss agricultural resource development and project cooperation. Bio also attended the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from Sept.4-6 while he was in China’s capital city.

A regular symposium that China, 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, and the African Union Commission are part of, the FOCAC was launched in the year 2000 in order to facilitate equal consultations, enhance understanding, expand consensus, strengthen friendship, and promote cooperation and common development between the parties that are involved. A high-level dialogue between China and African countries designed to promote practical cooperation in areas such as trade and the economy, investment, and infrastructure construction as well as exchanges and cooperation in areas such as education, culture, public health, and peace and security that often leads to the signing of cooperation agreements, the FOCAC Summit and other summits and ministerial conferences are also held every three years and usually alternate between Beijing and African locations.

Representatives from relevant Henan Agricultural Investment Group departments and a senior representative from a central Chinese company that sells grain domestically and internationally known as Zhengzhou Cereal Wholesale Market Co. Ltd. also participated in the discussions with Bio.

Li introduced the development history and business scope of the Group’s modern agricultural undertakings to the Sierra Leonean president as well as innovative practices it engages in in this area. He also reviewed previous discussions that have occurred with Ambassador of Sierra Leone to China Abu Bakarr Karim and the nation’s Deputy Ambassador to China, Saffa-Woya Rogers, and the results of visits that an inspection team from his company made to Sierra Leone and proposed suggestions for future cooperation.

Li also emphasized the Group’s commitment to cooperating with Sierra Leone, noting that both parties have clear intentions to collaborate and broad prospects, and stated that he looks forward to exploring and establishing a stable, long-term cooperative partnership with the country that will benefit the people of both Sierra Leone and China.

Bio warmly welcomed Li and his delegation and expressed appreciation for the achievements that the Group has made in the advancement of agricultural modernization. He remarked that his country’s government fully supports Henan Agricultural Investment Group’s investment and business activities in Sierra Leone and is committed to coordinating and allocating various agricultural resources, implementing preferential policies, and supporting the company’s development in the nation.

Bio also arranged for relevant Sierra Leonean government departments to engage in specific discussions with the Group in order to facilitate the implementation of cooperation projects.

As agreed to by both parties, the Group and Sierra Leone will engage in comprehensive cooperation related to the development of agricultural and facility aquaculture demonstration bases, agricultural product trade, agricultural science and education, productive agricultural investment, and other areas in order to promote complementary advantages, mutual benefits, and win-win outcomes; advance Sierra Leone’s agricultural development; improve food self-sufficiency; and contribute to China-Africa cooperation, thereby benefiting the people of both countries.

A key aspect of Henan Agricultural Investment Group’s internationalization strategy and its development into a world-class enterprise, advancing agricultural cooperation between China and Sierra Leone will lead to the latter becoming a strategic international expansion base and enable the company to continue to promote international agricultural trade and investment cooperation, explore international markets, promote South-South cooperation, and contribute to sustainable global agricultural development.