Gambian President Adama Barrow meets with Wang Yi

On January 5, 2019 local time, Gambian President Adama Barrow met with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Banjul. Gambian Vice President Ousainou Darboe was present.

Adama Barrow asked Wang Yi to convey his warm greetings to President Xi Jinping. Adama Barrow said that your visit to Gambia is the first one paid by a Chinese foreign minister, which shows the Chinese side's sincerity and determination to develop bilateral relations. I visited China twice within nine months, which also demonstrated that I and the Gambian government attached great importance to and had confidence in developing relations with China. China is the most important cooperative partner of Gambia. The Gambian side has a strong political will to strengthen bilateral cooperation and hopes that both sides will have wider cooperation areas and that Gambia-China relations will become better and better. I would like to reiterate that the Gambian side adheres to the one-China principle and will continue to firmly support the Chinese government's just position on the United Nations and other multilateral occasions. The Gambian side expressed its heartfelt thanks to China for its valuable assistance to the economic development of Gambia. The China-assisted construction projects have become landmark projects in Gambia. The Gambian people have felt personally the benefits of the resumption of Gambia-China diplomatic relations and the friendship of China. The Gambian side is making great efforts to promote construction in such areas as infrastructure and health and hopes to continue to get assistance from the Chinese side.

Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping's greetings to Adama Barrow. Wang Yi said that since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Gambia, bilateral relations have enjoyed rapid and comprehensive development. Facts have proved that the resumption of diplomatic relations with China is a correct decision that is in the fundamental interests of Gambia and its people and totally conforms to the trend of the times. The Chinese side appreciates the Gambian government, especially Mr. President, for reiterating on many occasions its firm adherence to the one-China principle. The Chinese side is willing to continuously increase mutual trust and firmly support each other on issues concerning respective core interests with the Gambian side, so as to lay a more solid political foundation for the future development of bilateral relations.

Wang Yi said that Mr. President has paid two visits to China and attended the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), during which you and President Xi Jinping had jointly drawn up a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations. My visit is to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state as well as the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, so as to promote bilateral cooperation to enhance alignment and achieve more outcomes. Both China and Gambia are developing countries and should support and help each other. As a major developing country, China is ready to help other developing countries, including Gambia, achieve rapid development within its capacity and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.