Your Excellency, Mr. Ding Xuexiang, Vice Premier of the State Council and Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee,
Your Excellency, President William Ruto, the African Co-Chair of the High-Level meeting on High Quality Belt and Road Cooperation.
Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Honourable Ministers, Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, In associating ourselves with the collective view of other African States, The Gambia acknowledges China’s unwavering support to Africa’s development journey and representation in inter-governmental organisations. This acknowledgement includes China’s instrumental efforts for the African Union’s (AU) representation in the G20 Forum.
Africa’s representation in the Forum amplifies the call for equitable participation in decision making in such important international bodies. The Gambia, therefore, reiterates its solidarity with China and its commitment to pursuing matters of mutual interest and concern to both parties.
The friendship and bilateral relations between our two countries have grown progressively over the years and have risen to the level of ‘Strategic Partnership.’
Through participation in FOCAC, The Gambia has received various capacity-building support, infrastructural projects, and economic assistance to complement our development endeavours. Strategically, in pursuance of my government’s development priorities, we have made sure that our National Development Plan (2023-2027) is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and the AU Development Agenda 2063.
The Gambia thus joins the African Group in thanking China for its willingness to strengthen cooperation with Africa in key priority areas of the AU Agenda 2063 Implementation Plan, which pursues similar objectives as the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035.
The Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Development between China and Africa in the areas of Agriculture, Trade, Investment, and other related fields will surely contribute to addressing Africa’s urgent need to attract investment. Furthermore, we welcome its huge potential to accelerate the continent’s crucial industrialisation and agricultural modernisation process.
The Framework is additionally expected to promote the high-quality economic development envisaged from our respective National Development strategies.
These aside, it is evident that Africa’s participation in the global industrial development drive, global supply chain, and economic cooperation will manifestly and fruitfully improve.
We equally appreciate that the cooperation will facilitate China’s goal of promoting high-quality economic development and building an open world economy for shared development.
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,
Reflecting on the theme for this Summit, the Government of the Republic of The Gambia associates itself with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which, inspired by the ancient Silk Road, extends beyond the Eurasian continent to include Africa and Latin America, among others.
I have noted that one hundred and fifty-one (151) countries and thirty-two (32) International Organisations have signed agreements under the BRI framework, with investments in seaports, railway lines, and renewable energy. The monetary value of these investments stood at US$21.7 billion in 2023. This confirms the substantial grounds BRI has gained since its launch in 2013.
Significantly too, BRI does not only enhance connectivity, but also benefits Africa’s growth through various industries. In The Gambia, for instance, China’s support in the implementation of the Greater Banjul Area Power Transmission and Distribution Modernisation Project demonstrates the scope and developmental outlook of the Initiative. The project is an important measure taken to implement The Gambia’s 2025 Energy Planning Roadmap. Similarly, the China-Aid Road and Bridges Project in the Upper River Region of The Gambia, connecting key sections of the Gambian National Highway Network, is aimed at promoting the economic development and well-being of the Gambian people.
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,
The Gambia welcomes President XI’s high-quality Belt and Road Cooperation announced during the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on 18th October 2023. The priority areas, such as renewable energy, healthcare, technology, and the re-modelling of BRI on investments, tactically designed to yield long-term benefits for our local communities, aligns most neatly with the AU agenda 2063. Amid these considerable shifts, the Government of The Gambia believes that these major schemes addressing Global Development, Security, Civilisation, and AI Governance, as proposed in the Beijing Initiative on Belt and Road Digital Cooperation, dually contribute to China’s solution to global governance and utilisation of its resources and skills to improve the well-being of humanity.
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,
The Government of The Gambia renews its commitment to the One China Principle and seizes this opportunity to congratulate China, once again, on the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence. We commend them also for adhering to the same principles in their relations with Africa. I thank our Foreign Ministers for their dedicated efforts towards the Action Plan. While welcoming the Republics of Congo and Equatorial Guinea as co-chairs for 2024-2027 and 2027-2030 respectively, I sincerely thank the Republic of Senegal, the outgoing co-chair, for their commendable work.
Finally, allow me to express my delegation’s profound gratitude to the Government of the People’s Republic of China for the invitation and hospitality accorded to us.
I thank you all.