A 3-day Africa–China Relations Symposium will be officially opened this morning 8th September, 2022 at the Africa Young Voices (AYV) Conference Room (main building) on Wesley street in Freetown.

The Symposium yesterday completed its Expert Preparatory Meeting at the at the AYV Board room.

The Meeting attracted 20 participants including planning committee, Chinese Embassy, AYV, facilitators, group facilitators, rapporteurs and experts.

Today’s formal opening ceremony will attract 150 participants including invited participants, planning committee, Chinese Embassy, AYV, facilitators, group facilitators, rapporteurs, China/Africa experts from (SL, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, China).

The opening session will be moderated by Ibrahim Kebe-Lecturer, Lecturer at IPAM and the keynote address will be delivered by the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Hu Zhangliang and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information & Communication, Mohamed Rahman Swaray.

During today’s session, ECOWAS Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Sidie Mohamed Tunis will make statement, which will be followed by online statement by Mr. Charles Onunaiju, Director, Center for China Studies, Nigeria on the ‘History of Africa-China Cooperation’.

There will also be other online statement to be delivered by Prof. Zhang Chun，Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of International Relations, Yunnan University on ‘Current State of Africa-China Cooperation.’

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Solomon Jamiru will speak on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone.

To climax today’s meeting, group discussions will be held on the ‘Opportunities, challenges and recommendations for China and Africa cooperation.’

At its end, groups will report back on the outcome of the group sessions and speakers and participants will make practicable recommendations and new ideas to enhance a mutually beneficial relationship between China and Africa including Sierra Leone.